Egypt sees huge pro-military rallies,Islamists still defiant

[DJKeefy]

Egypt sees massive pro-military rallies, Islamists remain defiant.

Estimated millions took to the streets in Cairo to heed calls by Egypt's army chief in scenes reminiscent of the 30 June demonstrations that led to the overthrow of president Mohamed Morsi, whose supporters are still holding firm.

Hundreds of thousands of people flocked to Cairo's Tahrir Square and the Ittihadia presidential palace to show support for the military, giving Minister of Defence Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi the popular "mandate" he had asked for in a speech on Wednesday to "deal with violence and potential terrorism."

Demonstrators filled the epicenter of the revolution as well as the nearby Kasr El-Nil Bridge and Maspero while repeating pro military slogans and chanting against the Muslim Brotherhood, from which toppled president Morsi hails.

According to Ahram Online's reporter on the field, a number of high ranking police officers have joined the pro-military protesters in Tahrir.

The officers were welcomed with cheers and chants of "the army, the police and the people are one hand." Protesters held posters of army chief El-Sisi, and pictures showing the Islamic crescent and the Christian cross as a symbol of national unity.

"It's a wonderful day. We lost a year of Egypt under Mohamed Morsi who only brought us injustice; he destroyed tourism, the media, and the economy,” protester Khaled Mostafa, an employee in the justice ministry, told Ahram Online.

"We were pleased with the announcement this morning that Morsi was being detained. We believe all the Muslim Brotherhood cronies should be locked up forever including [Mohamed] El-Beltagy, Essam El-Erian, Hafez, all of them," he added.

Earlier on Friday, an Egyptian court ordered that the deposed president be detained for 15 days pending investigations for allegedly collaborating with Hamas to escape from Wadi El-Natroun Prison and destroy prison records during the 2011 uprising.

Morsi has been held incommunicado at a secret location since he was removed from the presidency by Egypt’s military on 3 July following mass nationwide protests.

Many of the protesters who chanted against the Muslim Brotherhood in Tahrir told Ahram Online that they were in the square to defend the country "against terrorism."

"Everyone wants Sisi to fight against terrorism, and those terrorists are the people who support violence no matter what side they are on, pro- or anti-Morsi. This deadlock won't and can't last forever, because the majority of the people are against violence and just want the country to get back on its feet. These people, myself included, are way more than those people at [the pro-Morsi sit-in at] Rabaa Al-Adawiya Mosque," said Ines Omar, a business development assistant.


Unprecedented turnout at Rabaa

The area surrounding Rabaa Al-Adawiya Mosque, which has been the venue of the massive pro-Morsi sit-in since 28 June in Cairo's populous Nasr City, has seen an unprecedentedly high turnout of the deposed president's loyalists, according to an Ahram Online reporter.

However, they remain largely outnumbered by their opponents in Cairo, as well as other cities including Nile Delta's Mansoura, Luxor in Upper Egypt and the northren city of Alexandria.

The Muslim Brotherhood and Co. keep arguing that the military-backed ouster of Morsi on 3 July was an illegitimate coup d’état, while military leaders say they responded to the will of the people after millions thronged the streets to demand an end to Morsi's rule.

Mohamed El-Aidi, a 30-year-old businessman said he brought his wife and one-year-old son to Rabaa El-Adawiya to protest in support of Morsi.

Mohamed El-Aidi, a 30-year-old businessman, said he brought his wife and one-year-old son to Rabaa El-Adawiya to call for Morsi's reinstatement. "Where is my voice?" El-Aidi told Ahram Online, saying that he democratically elected Morsi in 2012 and now feels his voice was "stolen."

El-Aidi also accuses El-Sisi of favoring the anti-Morsi camp, calling on the army to reject his stance.

A 56-year-old doctor who identified himself as Hussein said: "The army calls us terrorists but you see thousands of people here peacefully protesting." He went on: "How are we terrorists? We are have been vilified, shot at, gassed, they illegally detained our president and will try to clear this sit-in."

Clashes broke out quite frequently the past few weeks between pro and anti Morsi protesters across Egypt. On many occasions, both sides used firearms against each other.

"Who is in Tahrir? The police, the army and the old regime are," Hussein added. "We have the president, the constitution, and legitimacy. It's simple, we're staying put."

Morsi was toppled as part of the armed forces' roadmap for Egypt following the mass nationwide protests against Morsi.


Five deaths in Alexandria

In Egypt's second biggest city Alexandria, five were killed, including a 14-year-old boy, in scuffles between Morsi's supporters and opponents. At least 146 were injured, according to a health ministry official.

Clashes also broke out between supporters and opponents of Morsi in the central Cairo neighbourhood of Shubra, witnesses told AFP. The clashes erupted early in the afternoon, the witnesses said. Live footage on satellite station ONTV showed crowds throwing rocks at each other in the neighbourhood. Medics said clashes left at least 10 injured.

In the Nile Delta city of Gharbiya, ten people – including a police officer – were injured in scuffles between loyalists and opponents of Egypt's toppled Islamist leader early Friday morning, Ahram’s Arabic site reported.

At least 146 people were injured across Egypt today in clashes and minor scuffles, according to the health ministry.

Meanwhile, clashes remain ongoing in Sinai between pro- and anti Morsi groups and the security forces. Dozens have been killed in the resitve peninsula since the beginning of the month.


Reinforcements

Large-scale reinforcements have been sent to secure Friday's rallies in Cairo. Dozens of police and military armoured vehicles have been stationed outside the Ittihadiya presidential palace in Cairo's Heliopolis district and around Tahrir Square, Ahram Arabic news website reported.

A number of tents had been pitched early Friday morning outside the palace, where pro-military demonstrators are expected to gather, and a main stage has been put up to receive public figures and artists, state television reported.

Demonstrations were also planned by Islamist backers of Morsi. Thousands from across Egypt's provincial towns have massed outside the Rabaa Al-Adawiya Mosque in northern Cairo, Ahram Arabic news website said. Protesters chanted anti-military, pro-Morsi and Islamist slogans.

Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood, which was propelled to power after decades of operating underground, plan numerous marches across Cairo and Giza in what it dubbed the “downfall of the coup” rallies.

Source: http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/77438.aspx