Photo: Metrix X / flickr

Rallies were held over the weekend in a number of Canadian cities — including Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary — to condemn the violent repression carried out by the military regime in Egypt. The crackdown, which resulted in at least 600 killed on August 14 alone, has targeted supporters of the ousted president, Mohammed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood. 

Amr Kassem, a 24-year-old resident of Toronto, was killed while attending a protest in the Egyptian city of Alexandria on Friday. Kassem, who was visiting his parents in Egypt with his wife and 9-month old daughter, was shot by a sniper.  

Protests against the massacres in Egypt took place in countries around the world, including in Australia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey and the UK

Several countries have withdrawn their ambassadors from Egypt in protest against the violence. This includes Venezuela, whose president, Nicolas Maduro, said: “We have witnessed a blood bath in Egypt. We warned that the [July 3] coup against Morsi was unconstitutional.” 

The Canadian government has issued statements urging “restraint” of violence and denouncing attacks against Christian churches in Egypt.