Developments Friday
— Britain announced it was revoking five export licenses for equipment destined for Egypt’s military and police.
— The military dropped flyers warning against violence as a crowd of at least 400 pro-Morsi protesters marched through northern Sinai’s main city of el-Arish. The flyers urged people to protect their land and the Sinai Peninsula from “terrorists” and provided two numbers for people to call to report suspicious behavior.
— Friday’s rallies coincided with the 10th day of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, which Egyptians celebrate as the day their armed forces crossed the Suez Canal in the 1973 war with Israel. The surprise assault led to the return of the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt, which had been occupied by Israel.
— The Brotherhood party said seven leaders of its parent group, including the former speaker of the parliament and an ultraconservative Salafi preacher, were transported to a heavily guarded prison, a move the group said was illegal because the men have not yet been charged. They have been accused, among other things, of inciting violence.
Associated Press
Thousands of protesters calling for the return to power of Egypt’s ousted Islamist president demonstrated in Cairo on Friday as the military warned it would crack down on any violence, underlining the point with a show of force by fighter jets flying over the capital.
Youth activists who launched the mass protests that led to Mohammed Morsi’s toppling by the military gathered in Cairo’s Tahrir Square and outside two presidential palaces to celebrate their gains, raising fears of a fresh round of clashes in the capital.
The Interior Minister in charge of police, Mohammed Ibrahim, issued a statement on the ministry’s Facebook page cautioning the ousted president’s supporters against going to Tahrir Square and warning both sides against committing acts of violence.
The rival gatherings came just days after a new interim Cabinet was sworn-in that includes women, Christians and members of a liberal coalition opposed to Morsi, but no Islamists. The ousted president’s Muslim Brotherhood party has refused to take part in talks with the interim leadership.
The country has been deeply polarized over the July 3 military coup that was supported by millions who accused Egypt’s first democratically elected leader of abusing his power and giving too much influence to his Brotherhood group.
On Friday, pro-Morsi protesters waving Egyptian flags and pictures of the ousted leader chanted slogans against army chief Gen. Abdel-Fatah el-Sissi. “El-Sissi is a traitor!” the crowds shouted. “Morsi is our president!”
“The problems of the first years could have been solved by dialogue, but the opposition always refused,” said 28-year-old Osama Youssef, who traveled to Cairo from the eastern province of Sharqiya to show his support for Morsi. “The opposition didn’t succeed in getting power through constitutional measures, so it chose to take power by staging a military coup.”
Mainly Islamist supporters of Morsi have been holding a sit-in in front of a mosque in eastern Cairo since the former leader’s ouster and the numbers swelled Friday as his backers answered a Brotherhood call to join the rallies, dubbed, “Breaking the Coup.”
The Brotherhood organized marches across Cairo as thousands of people defied the sweltering heat to take to the streets in support of Morsi in other cities, including Alexandria and several Nile Delta provinces.
“People are united in their call for the return of President Mohammed Morsi, the elected, legitimate president,” said Ayman Wahid, who joined a march in Cairo. He said he represents “real Egyptians” who want Morsi back.
Yasser Meshren, who came to Cairo from the southern province of Bani Suweif, accused the military of tricking the people by overseeing the elections only to then remove Morsi, disband the country’s interim parliament and suspend the constitution, which was approved in a referendum.
“You stole my mother and my sister’s voice,” Meshren said of the armed forces.
Police and military troops and armored vehicles were deployed heavily in Cairo around security and military installations, court houses, and the capital’s entrances.
Minor incidents of violence broke out in Cairo, according to security officials. Pro-Morsi supporters and opponents shouted at one another after Friday prayers in the main Al-Azhar Mosque and police detained six Islamist protesters for throwing rocks. Separately, a man was stabbed and hospitalized when a crowd of the deposed president’s supporters questioned his identity and found out he was a policeman in civilian clothing.
Fears of greater violence were high after 51 Islamist protesters were killed last week when the military opened fire on demonstrators outside the Republic Guard forces club. The Brotherhood has accused the troops of gunning down the protesters, while the military said it was provoked by armed Morsi supporters who were trying to storm the military building.
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