Morsi supporters vow more protest

Image
Press Trust of India Cairo
Last Updated : Aug 02 2013 | 7:20 PM IST
Defaint supporters of Egypt's deposed president Mohammed Morsi today vowed fresh protests against his ouster, raising fears of renewed violence as the interim government authorised police to disperse them.
Egypt's interim cabinet mandated the country's police force on Wednesday to disperse two pro-Morsi camps, which have each been in place for a month.
The Interior Ministry yesterday asked the protesters to close the camps on their own accord and promised that any Morsi supporter who left before the police operation would be given "safe passage".
"The interior ministry calls on those in the squares of Rabaa al-Adawiya and Nahda to listen to the sound of reason, side with the national interest and quickly leave," interior ministry spokesman Hany Abdel-Latif said in a televised statement.
"Whoever responds to this call will have a safe passage and protection," he added.
But a spokesman for the Muslim Brotherhood said they could not take the government's promise seriously, given the continuing crackdown against the Islamist grouping, many of whose members have been arrested since Morsi's removal by the Army on July 3.
"I don't believe anyone involved in the military coup," said Mohamed Soudan, a senior official from the Brotherhood's political wing, the Freedom and Justice party.
Pressing ahead with their demands of Morsi's reinstatement as president, protesters staged a demonstration in front of Egypt's High Constitutional Court (HCC) building, near Cairo's Maadi district, last night.
Morsi was deposed by the military following mass protests against him. The country's top judge Adly Mansour was appointed as interim president in a transitional period that would see parliamentary elections and early presidential elections.
For weeks, Morsi's supporters have been occupying two squares in Cairo to protest his ouster. They have vowed to remain until the former president is released from military detention and reinstated.
The Muslim Brotherhood's daily said that protesters will not be intimidated by the cabinet's statement stressing that the sit-ins are peaceful.
According to a security source: "There will be inevitable clashes between the Muslim Brotherhood [MB] and security forces in the coming few days."
The sit-ins have become flash points for the bloodiest confrontations since Morsi's ouster.
Yesterday, Egypt's interim cabinet said the sit-ins were disruptive and represented "a threat to the Egyptian national security and an unacceptable terrorising of citizens" and ordered the security forces to end them.
The authorities have portrayed the sit-ins as hotbeds of "terrorism," a term they use loosely to describe their opponents.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Aug 02 2013 | 7:20 PM IST

Next Story