Egypt's Mursi can't escape protesters

Reuters 2013-01-30

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Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi will get no respite from protests against him as he arrives in Germany for a visit with German chancellor Angela Merkel.

Mursi is seeking to secure urgently needed foreign investment and convince Europe of his democratic credentials.

Demonstrations against the president back home carried on for a seventh day on Wednesday -- bloody clashes that have claimed dozens of lives.

But in Berlin, too, activists came out to voice their opposition to the Egyptian leader, who hails from the Muslim Brotherhood.

Some protesters wanted to pressure Merkel to take a tough stance with Mursi, like this man from Amnesty International.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) SPOKESPERSON FOR AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL HENNING FRANZMEIER:

"We want to point out that is it very important for the German government to make it clear to President Mursi that human rights are a very important foundation stone for a future stable Egypt."

In Cairo, the teargas canisters continued to rain down, as they have done for a week.

The violence caused Mursi to cancel plans to go to Paris from Berlin - he will instead hurry back to Egypt after his visit with Merkel.

At least 52 people have been killed in unrest surrounding the two year anniversary of Egypt's popular revolution, whose values critics say Mursi and the Muslim Brotherhood have betrayed.

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