Salma Abu El-Magd arrested after interrupting speech by Muslim Brotherhood leader Essam El-Erian in New York, released after four hours in custody

An Egyptian-American activist has been arrested in New York after interrupting a lecture by Muslim Brotherhood leader Essam El-Erian.

El-Erian, a senior member of the Muslim Brotherhood and vice-chairman of its Freedom and Justice Party, had been invited to talk about Egypt’s draft constitution at the El-Nour Islamic School.

In a YouTube video of the incident, El-Magd said she lost her temper when El-Erian started praising the constitution.

“He said the US constitution had been changed many times and we could do that in Egypt,” El-Magd said. “Then he started talking about his beautiful constitution and how it would be a role model for the Middle East and Arab World.”

El-Magd said she interrupted the lecture at this point and called El-Erian a “liar and a murderer.”

Brotherhood supporters then attacked her and her husband, she said, and a man wearing an orange pullover hit her on the head.

A video shot by an audience member shows a hysterical El-Magd being thrown out of the hall.

“Get your ****** hands off me,” El-Magd screamed. “Get your people under control and tell them not to touch me.”

Once outside, El-Magd and other Egyptian activists began chanting against El-Erian and the Brotherhood. She was then approached by a police officer who informed her that she was under arrest.

“What [will you arrest me] for,” asked El-Magd. “I have every right to protest. This is my constitutional right. I am an American citizen.”

After she was put in the police car, a policeman explained that he had asked her repeatedly to leave and she had refused.

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