Morsi supporters march to mark 100 days since ouster

10 years ago | Posted in: Latest Politics News | 719 Views

Thousands of supporters of deposed Islamist president Mohamed Morsi have started gathering after Friday prayers, marking the 100th day since his ouster as they demonstrate against the military.

On a Friday dubbed as “100 days after coup”, protesters have launched marches in Cairo, Giza and Alexandria, as well as in the Egyptian governorate of Qalyubia, north of Cairo, and Upper Egypt’s Minya governorate.

Reuters reported that Police fired teargas to break up clashes between opponents and supporters of Morsi in Alexandria. No injuries were reported in the northern coastal city. In Delta’s Demitta, however, five were injured in similar clashes, according to Al-Ahram’s Arabic news site.

Many protesters held the yellow signs with the well-known “Rabaa hand,” showing a four-finger salute symbolizing the violent crackdown on the Rabaa Al-Adawiya Mosque that took place in mid-August. They also chanted against the military and defence minister Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. Some were carrying pictures of Morsi and playing songs in favour of an Islamic state.

Late on Thursday, the National Alliance to Support Legitimacy, an anti-military coalition of Islamist forces supporting Morsi, dropped its calls for protests in Cairo’s Tahrir Square to “avoid bloodshed.”

“Egyptians still have the right to protest at these places in the coming weeks,” the coalition said in a statement.

Security forces blocked entrance to Tahrir Square and Rabaa Al-Adawiya, among other roundabouts, on Fridays to avoid another possible sit-in. They often clash with Islamist protesters supporting Morsi and demonstrating against the military.

Several marches sought to head to Tahrir Square last Sunday, which marked the 40th anniversary of the war against Israel, but were prevented by security personnel and civilian opponents. The ensuing melee left 57 dead.

After one year in office, former elected president Morsi was toppled on 3 July following nationwide mass protests against his rule. His ouster was part of a roadmap that was agreed by many political parties, as well as Al-Azhar (the highest Sunni authority) and the Coptic Church, and enforced by the armed forces.

Following his ouster, the Muslim Brotherhood, from which Morsi hails, and the alliance staged a myriad of protests across the nation calling for his reinstatement and against  the army, with clashes erupting recurrently with security forces and civilian opponents.

The pro-Morsi camp’s mobilisation was abysmally affected after the arrest of many Brotherhood and Islamist leaders, who are now facing an array of charges. Also, the forced dispersal of two sit-ins in Cairo and Giza, which left hundreds of deaths, also took a toll on their ability to stage mass demos.

source: ahram online

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