People who have witnessed violence in Egypt speak to Eyewitness News Saturday

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The international community is once again watching what's unfolding in Egypt. Many people nationwide and even in Charlotte have friends and family in the country, including Eyewitness News Reporter Catherine Bilkey.

She spoke with people stuck amidst the violence.

"Every day fighting and our business is stopped and they make the people killed, stuff like this," Ehab Ozorees, who lives in Cairo, said.

People can't meet in groups for fear of violence; businesses have shut their doors.

"I closed my office and my business from last Wednesday until now, four days," Mina Rafat, who also lives in Cairo, said. "A lot of companies [have done] the same because all of us scared."

Since President Mohamed Morsy was ousted, demonstrations have turned violent and ugly.

"It's not democracy," Ozorees said. "You can't have democracy like this."

International media reports have focused on confrontations between the military and pro-Morsy protestors in recent days. Rafat, who is Christian, talked about attacks on churches all over the country.

"Yesterday for example, my street, and in our church--a lot of Muslim and Christian save the church," Rafat said.

Mina said they pushed away people who wanted to burn the church, and together, they guarded the place of worship.

"I don't know what will happen in the future...but now we need to control our country," Rafat said.

Rafat hopes Egypt will rebuild, grow, and protect its people.

WSOC