AFP/Cairo
Egyptian opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei is led to safety after Islamists hurled stones and shoes at him as he went to cast his ballot in Cairo yesterday
Islamists hurled stones and shoes at Mohamed ElBaradei, Nobel Peace laureate and a secular contender for Egypt’s presidency, as he tried to vote yesterday in a referendum on constitutional amendments.
ElBaradei was hit in the back by a stone thrown from the crowd of hundreds but managed to escape unhurt and slammed as “irresponsible” the holding of a referendum without adequate law and order.
“We don’t want you,” the mob shouted, throwing stones, shoes and water at the former UN nuclear watchdog chief as he turned up at a Cairo polling station.
“He lives in the US and wants to rule us. It’s out of the question,” one of them said.
“We don’t want an American agent,” said another.
ElBaradei beat a retreat to his car and left without voting at the polling station in Muqattam, a largely poor district in south Cairo.
“Went 2 vote w family attacked by organized thugs. Car smashed w rocks. Holding referendum in absence of law & order is an irresponsible act,” he wrote on Twitter.
ElBaradei’s brother Ali said he was unhurt. Muqattam is close to the scene of recent deadly clashes between Egypt’s Christian Copt community and Muslims.
Members of the crowd before the assault identified themselves as Islamists without elaborating on their precise allegiance.
An official from the Muslim Brotherhood denied members of his group were involved.
“There are many types of Islamists. It’s impossible that it was Muslim Brotherhood members, 100% impossible. We work with ElBaradei and coordinate with him,” said Gamal Nassar.
ElBaradei, a staunch opponent of the planned changes, is widely respected on the world stage for his work as an international diplomat. But under the Mubarak regime, he came under repeated criticism for his frequent trips abroad and was accused of being out of touch with the reality of Egyptian life.