Egypt: Muslim Brotherhood’s supporters stage the rallies in Cairo

Muslim Brotherhood's supporters in Cairo

The supporters of Egypt’s deposed President Mohamed Morsy and of Muslim Brotherhood from which he hails have staged the new rallies on Friday, 23 August 2013.

The Alliance in Support of Legitimacy united several Islamist political parties and groups and led by Muslim Brotherhood has declared about the intentions to hold the demonstrations in Cairo and nationwide for at least a week since the violence erupted between the Islamist supporters and security forces after the dispersal of two main Islamist sit-ins in Cairo.

The protesters demand reinstatement of Mohamed Morsy as legitimate president of Egypt and express their anger over the excessive measures and violence against Morsy’s and Muslim Brotherhood’s supporters during the operation of dispersal of the protests and the following clashes which took the lives of nearly 900 people, though Muslim Brotherhood’s representatives claim there were even more.

Though the numbers of the protesters in Cairo have been relatively low during this week and this Friday as well. The series of marches have been held on Friday in several districts of Cairo and also in some other Egyptian governorates, including Suez, Aswan, Minya, Fayoum and others. In Nile Delta city of Tanta the violence erupted which left at least one Muslim Brotherhood’s supporter dead.

Muslim Brotherhood's supporters in Cairo

The supporters of Mohamed Morsy and Muslim Brotherhood have marched through several districts of Cairo carrying the posters of Mohamed Morsy and calling for his reinstatement. They have been also chanting against the 30 June Revolution overthrown Mr. Morsy which the Islamist forces consider being a military coup and totally reject it refusing even the talks with the current government as it backed the coup. There have been the chants against Egypt’s Head of Armed Forces Abdel Fattah El-Sissi calling him traitor. The protesters have been accusing the military and current government of violent dealing with the Islamist protesters and claiming they are leading the war against Islam. Some of the protesters have been also carrying the posters with the pictures of slain protesters from the recent clashes.

In addition to that the demonstrators have been also protesting against the recent numerous attacks of Muslim Brotherhood leaders including Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie.

Egypt's Armed Forces blocking the entrance to Tahrir Square

The army and security forces in their turn have been deployed in the area and also heavily guarded the main spots of the protests. Thus, the roads leading to Rabaa Al-Adaweya Square where the main sit-in of Islamists has been located before the dispersal have been blocked by security and armed forces. The entrance to Cairo’s iconic Tahrir Square have been also closed with the barbed wire and guarded by the military personnel and tanks.

It’s also worth mentioning that after the bloody clashes erupted in Cairo and in other Egyptian governorates as well since the dispersal of Mohamed Morsy’s sit-ins the state of emergency has been declared in Egypt by the President and curfew was imposed in several Egyptian governorates including Cairo.

Thus the marches of Islamists and Mohamed Morsy’s supporters held on Friday faced relatively law turnout and remained peacefully.