Massive demonstrations of Mohamed Morsy and Muslim Brotherhood’s supporters and rivals continue in Egypt

Anti-Morsy demonstrators

Egypt has faced today the massive protests organized by the opponents of ousted President Mohamed Morsy and Muslim Brotherhood and also by the Islamist forces and their supporters as well. Both of the rallies have been previously announced by the organizers.

Anti-Morsy demonstrations have gathered hundreds of thousands of participants gathered in Cairo’s Tahrir Square and also in front of the Presidential Palace located in Heliopolis. More and more protesters have been heading to the demonstrations’ main points from different districts of Cairo. Massive anti-Muslim Brotherhood rallies have been also held in other Egyptian governorates, such as Alexandria, Luxor, Aswan, Gharbiya, Assiut and many others.

The anti-Morsy demonstrations are aimed to support the “popular legitimacy” and will of the people and to support the decision of Egypt’s Head of Armed Forces Abdel Fattah El-Sissi to dismiss Mohamed Morsy from his presidential position amid the unprecedented massive protests against his rule all over Egypt since 30 June 2013.

This decision taken by the military was welcomed by the demonstrators and the oppositional political leaders. The roadmap proposed by the Armed Forces corresponded to the key-demands of the protesters and the members of the Rebel campaign. The President was ousted as the campaign has gathered more than 22 million signatures against him withdrawing confidence from him. The controversial Constitution was suspended, the government dissolved, and the Head of High Constitutional Court, Adly Mansour, was appointed as an interim head of the state until the early presidential elections to be held.

Several political groups and parties have participated in the rallies including the representatives of the National Salvation Front, Socialist Popular Alliance Party, Egyptian Social Democratic Party, Revolutionary Socialists and also Ultras.

According to the reports there are also some anti-USA moods among the protesters as many see the reactions and the comments of the US administration as a support of the Muslim Brotherhood rule.

Funeral procession during the Islamist marches

But the move of Egypt’s military was strongly criticized by the supporters of Mohamed Morsy and Muslim Brotherhood as they saw it as a military coup against Egypt’s legitimate and democratically elected President. The same point was also highlighted by several Western media outlets.

Mohamed Morsy has reportedly rejected his dismissal claiming he will remain Egypt’s President as he was elected to this position. The representatives of the Muslim Brotherhood have also rejected the recent moves of the military and declared Mohamed Morsy is a legitimate President.

The massive protest to support his claim have been organized on Sunday, 7 July, by Egypt’s Islamist parties and recently created Alliance for Support of Legitimacy which united over 40 different Islamist parties. Their key demands are reinstatement of Mohamed Morsy as a President of Egypt and cancelling of all the decisions made recently by the Armed Forces. 

They also call for the continuing of the implementation of the Constitution and formation of the special committee to oversee and amend some controversial articles of it. The arrests of several leading figures from Muslim Brotherhood and also closing of some Islamist owned TV channels have been also criticized.

Tens of thousands of Morsy and Muslim Brotherhood’s supporters have gathered in front of Rabaa Al-Adawiya Mosque in Cairo’s Nasr City, where the sit-in in support of Morsy still continues, and many more have moved to the Republican Guards headquarters where they claim Mohamed Morsy is currently held.

Thus the situation in the country remains tense with the massive rival demonstrations held by Morsy supporters and also opponents. The Friday demonstrations organized by Muslim Brotherhood’s supporters have resulted in the violent clashes in Cairo and in other Egyptian governorates leaving nearly 37 people dead and more than 1000 people injured.

It’s worth mentioning that on Sunday, 7 July, Egypt’s military has deployed the additional troops and armed vehicles in the areas of the demonstrations in order to keep the order and to protect the people and the security. Strong military presence was reported around Tahrir Square and also near Egyptian Museum.