Egypt erupts in protest as Morsi tries to be 21st century Pharaoh
24 Nov 2012 5:35 AM IST
Thousands of supporters and opponents of President Mohamed Morsi on Friday staged rival rallies across Egypt, a day after he assumed sweeping powers, leading to sporadic violence and burning down of offices belonging to the ruling Muslim Brotherhood.
Protesters marching from various city points converged in in Cairo's iconic Tahrir Square chanting slogans such as ‘Down with the Supreme Guide,’ ‘Wake up Morsi, it's your last day,’ and the popular ‘The people demand the fall of the regime.’
The protesters held banners denouncing the Muslim Brotherhood and its intervention in the state policy, as well as banners rejecting on Thursday's constitutional declaration.
Morsi has assumed sweeping powers, drawing flak that he is acting like a ‘new pharaoh’ and is endangering the gains of the popular uprising which ousted Hosni Mubarak's dictatorial regime.
Morsi made the constitutional declaration on Thursday that granted him far-reaching powers and also ordered retrials of officials involved in the killing of protesters during the 2011 mass uprising against the Mubarak regime.
This move led to the protests during which the offices of the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), the Muslim Brotherhood's political arm, were set ablaze in Ismailiya and Port Said, state television said.
It was also reported that the party's office in Alexandria was also stormed. Eyewitnesses said 15 were injured in the clashes as both sides hurled stones at each other, and at least five cars were smashed.
The protesters arrived in Tahrir about an hour after Islamist supporters of Morsi came out in the tens to demonstrate against the Constitution Party's anti-Morsi protest march.
The two groups engaged in verbal sparring matches, shouting slogans at each other after the Friday prayers.
The Islamist protesters chanted pro-Morsi slogans, such as ‘People want God's rules to be applied’ and held Quran in their hand.
Arrangements began early morning for the protests, which was called for by several political forces during a meeting at the Wafd Party headquarters late last night following Morsi's announcement.
Political forces including the Wafd Party, Tagammu Party, Constitution Party, Democratic Egyptian Party, Free Egyptians Party and Popular Trend Party, as well as the April 6 Youth Movement, the Revolutionary Youth Union, the Free Egyptian Movement, the No to Military Trials group and the Bring them for Trial campaign have announced participation in the protest.
Meanwhile, Islamist forces including the Muslim Brotherhood, Jama'a al-Islamiya, and Salafi Dawah as well the Freedom and Justice Party, the Noor Party, Asala and Wasat have announced their support of the new constitutional declaration.
In a swift reaction to the declaration, dozens of activists attempted to storm the headquarters of the Freedom and Justice Party in the cities of Port Said and Port Fouad, but were stopped by security forces.
In response to the announcement, Mahmoud Ghozlan, official spokesperson of the Muslim Brotherhood, stated that it was a ‘revolutionary decision’, Ahram online reported.
He defended the declaration’s article protecting the Constituent Assembly, even though thousands of protesters repeatedly took to streets over the past month to call for the dissolution of the constitution-writing body.
Ghozlan stated that while this is a public expression of opinion that should be respected, it is nevertheless unlawful and goes against the legislative principles of the constitution.
Reiterating this, chairman of the Freedom and Justice Party’s legislative committee Mokhtar El-Ashry claimed that ‘it is clear from the current decree that the People’s Assembly will be reinstated.’
He further asserted that the decision was ‘constitutional’ since it was announced in the form of a constitutional decree.
At the inauguration of the Conference Party, which former presidential candidate Amr Moussa founded, he slammed the decisions of Morsi.
Protesters marching from various city points converged in in Cairo's iconic Tahrir Square chanting slogans such as ‘Down with the Supreme Guide,’ ‘Wake up Morsi, it's your last day,’ and the popular ‘The people demand the fall of the regime.’
The protesters held banners denouncing the Muslim Brotherhood and its intervention in the state policy, as well as banners rejecting on Thursday's constitutional declaration.
Morsi has assumed sweeping powers, drawing flak that he is acting like a ‘new pharaoh’ and is endangering the gains of the popular uprising which ousted Hosni Mubarak's dictatorial regime.
Morsi made the constitutional declaration on Thursday that granted him far-reaching powers and also ordered retrials of officials involved in the killing of protesters during the 2011 mass uprising against the Mubarak regime.
This move led to the protests during which the offices of the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), the Muslim Brotherhood's political arm, were set ablaze in Ismailiya and Port Said, state television said.
It was also reported that the party's office in Alexandria was also stormed. Eyewitnesses said 15 were injured in the clashes as both sides hurled stones at each other, and at least five cars were smashed.
The protesters arrived in Tahrir about an hour after Islamist supporters of Morsi came out in the tens to demonstrate against the Constitution Party's anti-Morsi protest march.
The two groups engaged in verbal sparring matches, shouting slogans at each other after the Friday prayers.
The Islamist protesters chanted pro-Morsi slogans, such as ‘People want God's rules to be applied’ and held Quran in their hand.
Arrangements began early morning for the protests, which was called for by several political forces during a meeting at the Wafd Party headquarters late last night following Morsi's announcement.
Political forces including the Wafd Party, Tagammu Party, Constitution Party, Democratic Egyptian Party, Free Egyptians Party and Popular Trend Party, as well as the April 6 Youth Movement, the Revolutionary Youth Union, the Free Egyptian Movement, the No to Military Trials group and the Bring them for Trial campaign have announced participation in the protest.
Meanwhile, Islamist forces including the Muslim Brotherhood, Jama'a al-Islamiya, and Salafi Dawah as well the Freedom and Justice Party, the Noor Party, Asala and Wasat have announced their support of the new constitutional declaration.
In a swift reaction to the declaration, dozens of activists attempted to storm the headquarters of the Freedom and Justice Party in the cities of Port Said and Port Fouad, but were stopped by security forces.
In response to the announcement, Mahmoud Ghozlan, official spokesperson of the Muslim Brotherhood, stated that it was a ‘revolutionary decision’, Ahram online reported.
He defended the declaration’s article protecting the Constituent Assembly, even though thousands of protesters repeatedly took to streets over the past month to call for the dissolution of the constitution-writing body.
Ghozlan stated that while this is a public expression of opinion that should be respected, it is nevertheless unlawful and goes against the legislative principles of the constitution.
Reiterating this, chairman of the Freedom and Justice Party’s legislative committee Mokhtar El-Ashry claimed that ‘it is clear from the current decree that the People’s Assembly will be reinstated.’
He further asserted that the decision was ‘constitutional’ since it was announced in the form of a constitutional decree.
At the inauguration of the Conference Party, which former presidential candidate Amr Moussa founded, he slammed the decisions of Morsi.
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