Egypt: Clashes erupted in Cairo and other Egyptian cities on the day of anniversary of Morsi’s ouster

Clashes in Cairo during the Islamist rallies
(Image: Voice of America)

Egyptian National Alliance in Support of Legitimacy, an umbrella group for many Islamist groups and currents including recently banned and designated as a terrorist group Muslim Brotherhood, has issued a manifest on the eve of the anniversary of ouster of Egypt’s Islamist President Mohamed Morsi threatening the currently authorities with organizing the massive protests and demonstrations all over the country.  

Egypt’s Islamist backed President Mohamed Morsy, who was elected as the country’s President in 2012, was ousted by the decree of Egypt’s Armed Forces amid the massive nationwide protests against his rule, started on 30 June 2013. Mohamed Morsi was ousted on 3 July 2014, as Egypt’s Head of the Armed Forces Abdel Fattah El-Sissi has appointed Adly Mansour as Egypt’s interim President and has introduces a political roadmap for Egypt.

Egyptian Islamists and supporters of deposed President Morsi and Muslim Brotherhood have been protested during several months in Cairo and all over the country, as later their sit-ins were forcibly and violently dispersed, leaving hundreds of people dead, thousands injured and arrested.

Muslim Brotherhood though and the unified National Alliance if Support of Legitimacy continued their protests and rallies demanding Mohamed Morsy to be reinstated as a legitimate Egypt’s President and protesting against the “coup” and Abdel Fattah El-Sissi authority, who was elected recently Egypt’s new President. The numbers of the protesters attending Muslim Brotherhood’s and pro-Morsi rallies in Cairo and in other cities and governorates of Egypt have significantly decreased due to the massive crackdown of the Islamists.

NASL though has issued a statement recently calling for the massive rallies to be held on the 3^rd of July all over the country in order to protest Mohamed Morsi’s ouster and “military coup” authority and called it the “day of rage”. The statement announced the marches to start from several mosques all over Cairo and in other Egyptian cities as well.

Yet the support of the Islamism has really decreased in Egypt nowadays, as the rallies weren’t massive and were attended by several hundred protesters in several Cairo districts. The rallies were held also in the coastal city of Alexandria, in Fayoun and others.

Police blocking the main roads and squares due to
the protests
(Image: Middle East Eye)

Egyptian police has taken additional and unprecedented security measures on the eve of the planned demonstrations, sealing off the iconic Tahrir Square with the military vehicles and barricades, blocking and patrolling the main roads and streets, blocking the access to the Rabaa Al-Adaweya Square in Cairo’s Nasr City, where the Islamists have held their massive sit-in one year ago. Additional troops and technique have been deployed also in the neighborhood of the governmental buildings including Presidential Palace in Heliopolis, hit by the series of explosions on Monday, 30 June.

Clashes erupted during the rallies between the supporters of Muslim Brotherhood and Morsi and security forces and some local residents. Police have been firing tear gas in attempt to disperse the crowds of the protesters. Egypt’s Health Ministry reported that at least three people were killed in Cairo and Alexandria during the Thursday’s clashes and many people were injured. Clashes continued also on Friday, 4 July, leaving two other people dead and dozens arrested.

In addition to that series of explosions hit a village next to Cairo on Friday, leaving two dead.