200 Montrealers protest Egyptian leadership
Power grabs by Egypt's new president stirred demonstrations in Montreal, Toronto and other Canadian cities Friday night.
More than 200 protesters gathered in front of Montreal's Egyptian Consulate downtown to call for the resignation of President Mohammed Morsi.
"The current government is trying to push through a draft constitution that doesn't represent all Egyptians," said demonstrator Lillian Boctor.
Thousands of protesters have thronged the streets of Cairo over the past week, charging that Morsi has turned into a dictator. They say they are afraid he is turning into the type of leader they attempted to eliminate last year by ousting former president Hosni Mubarak.
Boctor has organized several protests in Montreal since last year's Egyptian uprising. She said that if the current government continues on its "dangerous path," it risks infringing on people's social, political and religious rights.
In November, Egypt was thrown back into crisis when Morsi issued a decree granting himself broad powers and sidelining the country's judiciary. The clashes in recent days since have left six dead and hundreds injured.
A referendum on Morsi's draft constitution is set for Dec. 15.
