Morsi addresses nation as protests gather strength
8 Dec 2012 7:58 AM IST
Hundreds of angry Egyptians flocked to the iconic Tahrir Square here after Friday prayers for mass rallies against Islamist President Mohamed Morsi's plans to hold a controversial constitutional referendum that sparked the worst violence since he assumed power in June.
Protesters have been arriving in Tahrir Square since early morning to prepare for mass rallies against Morsi, demanding that the President must roll back his edict granting himself expanded powers and must postpone the scheduled 15 December referendum on constitution. They say the new draft constitution does not adequately represent or protect all Egyptians. Egypt's main opposition coalition, the National Salvation Front, said it would not take part in the dialogue proposed by Morsi on Thursday night, a senior member of the group said. The demonstrators from venues around Cairo including Giza, Tahrir Square, Abbaseya and a number of mosques will converge on the Presidential Palace in Heliopolis, where tanks and armoured cars were positioned to keep protesters at bay. The areas around the Presidential palace witnessed violent clashes between anti and pro-Morsi supporters in the past two days that left seven people dead and nearly 700 injured. Muslim Brotherhood Mohamed Badie preached the sermon in Al-Azhar mosque on Friday during the funeral of people who were killed clashes in front of the presidential palace.
Following the prayers the people attending the payers took to the street chanting ‘Egypt is Islamic Islamic’ which caused immediate panic on social media.
On Friday's protest has been variously termed 'Friday to oust the Brotherhood's militias', 'Red Card Friday', and 'Ultimatum Friday'. Hundreds of protesters have been holding a sit-in in Tahrir Square since 22 November when Morsi's constitutional declaration rendered his decisions above judicial challenge and made the Islamist-dominated Shura Council and Constituent Assembly immune from dissolution by court order.
Addressing the nation in a live televised speech on Thursday night, Morsi refused to withdraw the controversial edict he issued and vowed to go ahead with a referendum on the new constitution on 15 December.
Morsi said he respects peaceful opposition to his decisions but will not tolerate violence. He condemned those involved in the clashes - referring specifically to those with weapons and who are backed by members of the ‘corrupt ... ex-regime’ - and promised they’d be held accountable.
‘(They) will not escape punishment,’ the president said. In his speech, Morsi said more than 80 people had been arrested after days of violent protests.
Protesters have been arriving in Tahrir Square since early morning to prepare for mass rallies against Morsi, demanding that the President must roll back his edict granting himself expanded powers and must postpone the scheduled 15 December referendum on constitution. They say the new draft constitution does not adequately represent or protect all Egyptians. Egypt's main opposition coalition, the National Salvation Front, said it would not take part in the dialogue proposed by Morsi on Thursday night, a senior member of the group said. The demonstrators from venues around Cairo including Giza, Tahrir Square, Abbaseya and a number of mosques will converge on the Presidential Palace in Heliopolis, where tanks and armoured cars were positioned to keep protesters at bay. The areas around the Presidential palace witnessed violent clashes between anti and pro-Morsi supporters in the past two days that left seven people dead and nearly 700 injured. Muslim Brotherhood Mohamed Badie preached the sermon in Al-Azhar mosque on Friday during the funeral of people who were killed clashes in front of the presidential palace.
Following the prayers the people attending the payers took to the street chanting ‘Egypt is Islamic Islamic’ which caused immediate panic on social media.
On Friday's protest has been variously termed 'Friday to oust the Brotherhood's militias', 'Red Card Friday', and 'Ultimatum Friday'. Hundreds of protesters have been holding a sit-in in Tahrir Square since 22 November when Morsi's constitutional declaration rendered his decisions above judicial challenge and made the Islamist-dominated Shura Council and Constituent Assembly immune from dissolution by court order.
Addressing the nation in a live televised speech on Thursday night, Morsi refused to withdraw the controversial edict he issued and vowed to go ahead with a referendum on the new constitution on 15 December.
Morsi said he respects peaceful opposition to his decisions but will not tolerate violence. He condemned those involved in the clashes - referring specifically to those with weapons and who are backed by members of the ‘corrupt ... ex-regime’ - and promised they’d be held accountable.
‘(They) will not escape punishment,’ the president said. In his speech, Morsi said more than 80 people had been arrested after days of violent protests.
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