Three killed in Egypt church riot
Protesters outside St George’s church in Alexandria, Egypt
Protesters threw stones at the Coptic church and police officers
Three people have died during a riot outside a Coptic church in Alexandria, Egypt, after a protest against a play accused of offending Islam.
Police used sticks and tear gas to hold back a crowd of some 5,000 protesters who marched on St George’s church.
Dozens of people were injured in the crush. One man who died was trampled and had inhaled tear gas, police said.
On Wednesday, a Muslim man stabbed a nun in protest at the sale of a DVD of the play, staged at the church in 2003.
The demonstration was the latest in a series of incidents at the church related to the performance of the play.
Entitled I Once Was Blind But Now I See, the drama tells the story of a poor young Copt who is drawn to Islamist militants who then try to kill him.