http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2013/07/2013711214344630522.html
Thousands gather for pro-Morsi rally in Cairo |
Rallies planned across the country as political crisis continues even as deposed president Morsi remains in detention.
Last Modified: 12 Jul 2013 21:58
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Demonstrators were bussed in from outside the capital [Reuters]
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| Thousands of supporters of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood have been demonstrating in Cairo's Nasr City district, waving pictures of ousted president Mohamed Morsi, as the anti-Morsi camp planned a mass evening gathering in Tahrir Square. Crowds in Nasr City were chanting anti-military slogans, calling Abdul Fatah al-Sisi, the country's army chief, a traitor for removing of Morsi from office last week. Thousands of people were bussed in from outside the capital to join the sit-in at Rabaa El Adaweiya Mosque on Friday. Earlier in the day, the pro-Morsi camp announced a march to the presidential palace, but their path was blocked by the militray, so the march was diverted back to Rabaa. Smaller rallies were also expected to take place in other governorates. Meanwhile, members of prominent anti-Morsi groups such as Tamarod (Rebellion), the National Salvation Front and the June 30 Steering Committee were calling for people to gather for a mass Iftar and post-evening prayers in Tahrir Square and in front of the Itahadiya Presidential Palace in Cairo. Security The military has announced a large scale deployment across the capital and other parts of the country to maintain security and to ensure the rival gatherings remain separate. The army said it had deployed security personnel around vital installations in Cairo including the presidential palace, the Republican Guard barracks, the Defence Ministry as well as near vital bridges and thoroughfares. The military was also blocking roads linking the presidential palace where the anti-Morsi crowd was expected to gather at sundown and at Rabaa mosque.  Morsi has been held in a "safe place," according to Egypt's interim leaders, and has not been seen in public since his ouster on July 3. Also on Firday, an Al Jazeera correspondent and his camera team of three were detained after filming in the Suez region of Egypt. They were detained by the Egyptian military and were questioned. On Thursday, the Muslim Brotherhood vowed to keep protesting until Morsi was reinstated, despite the fact that much of the group's leadership has been detained by the army. Egypt's new prime minister said on Thursday he did not rule out Muslim Brotherhood members in his cabinet, even as the group vowed to keep defying the military action that resulted in Morsi's fall from power. Hazem al-Beblawi, who was appointed on Tuesday, said he was still considering the make-up of his interim government. Beblawi will start contacting candidates for cabinet ministries on Sunday and Monday with a view to having the cabinet sworn in by the end of next week, he told Reuters news agency on Friday. "I don't look at political association... If someone is named from [the Brotherhood's] Freedom and Justice Party, if he is qualified for the post he may be considered," Beblawi said. "I'm taking two criteria for the next government. Efficiency and credibility." Deadly clashes The Brotherhood has already rejected a Beblawi offer to join the new government and pledged to continue agitation. The protests since Morsi's removal have often been deadly, with the death of 53 people, mostly Morsi supporters, in clashes around an army building on Monday. Police have been hunting for the Brotherhood leader, Mohammed Badie, after a warrant was issued for his arrest on Wednesday. Morsi is currently being held in a "safe place, for his safety," foreign ministry spokesman Badr Abdelatty told reporters on Wednesday, adding that the former Egyptian leader had not been charged with anything to date. Military and judicial sources have said the ousted leader may face charges eventually. UN leader Ban Ki-moon raised concerns about the detention of Morsi and other Muslim Brotherhood leaders during a telephone conversation with the country's foreign minister, a spokesman said. Ban reaffirmed that there must be no "retribution" against any party, UN spokesman Martin Nesirky told reporters after the telephone talks between Ban and Foreign Minister Mohammed Kamal Amr. |
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/76354/Egypt/Politics-/Supporters-of-Egypts-ousted-president-up-pressure-.aspx
Ousted Egyptian president's supporters congregate near downtown Cairo to denounce 'coup' and press their demand for his reinstatement; El-Beltagi calls for dismissal of defence minister
Ahram Online , Saturday 13 Jul 2013
A boy holds an Egyptian flag together with members of the Muslim Brotherhood and supporters of deposed Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi at the Rabaa Adawiya Mosque, where they are camping, in Cairo July 12, 2013 (Photo: Reuters)
Morsi was deposed by the military last week after millions of Egyptians took to the streets to demand early elections.
Hundreds of thousands of pro-Morsi protesters gathered earlier on Friday in Nasr City east of Cairo for a demonstration to press for Morsi's reinstatement.
The area has played home to a sizeable pro-Morsi sit-in since 28 June.
Demonstrators near Cairo's downtown Ramses district said they would move from their place of congregation at the Fath Mosque, moving off in several marches through various areas of the capital, state news agency MENA reported.
MENA added that protesters condemned what they view as a "coup" against Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood – many leaders of which remain in police custody – and are calling for Morsi's return to his post and the reinstatement of the upper house of Egypt's dissolved parliament.
After removing Morsi, the army suspended the constitution, dissolved the Brotherhood-led Shura Council (upper house of parliament) and laid down a transitional roadmap jointly with opposition groups that included the appointment of the head of Egypt's constitutional court, Adly Mansour, as interim president.
Mansour has since issued a constitutional declaration setting a framework for constitutional amendments, along with early presidential and parliamentary polls.
The president's office also plans to launch an initiative aimed at fostering "national reconciliation" sometime this week.
Pro-Morsi sit-in continues
Significant numbers of Morsi supporters have been camped out at Rabaa Al-Adawiya Mosque in Nasr City since 28 June.
Protesters at Rabaa had initially congregated late last month to oppose calls for Morsi to step down, but following his 3 July ouster by the military, changed their demand to his reinstatement.
On Friday, protesters waved flags amid patriotic and pro-Morsi anthems. On the stage, a large banner reading 'Anti-coup' in English could be seen.
An imam delivered a Friday sermon to the crowds in which he mourned fallen "Islamist martyrs" and urged those assembled to continue their sit-in.
Monday saw deadly violence outside the nearby Republican Guard headquarters, when clashes between military personnel and pro-Morsi demonstrators led to the death of at least 51 of the latter and one officer.
Islamist preacher Safwat Hegazy gave a speech on the main stage at Rabaa Al-Adawiya in which he vowed that protesters would maintain their demonstrations until the president was is back in office, or would "die as martyrs."
He went on to say that the army would bow to pressure "whether they want to or not."
In Giza, marches from the Omraniya and Dokki districts reached Nahdet Misr Square, another venue where Islamists have been encamped to defend the former president's "democratic legitimacy."
The former president's supporters from Cairo and other provincial towns began gathering there on Thursday night, Al-Ahram's Arabic website reported.
Groups who oppose former president Morsi also called for mass gatherings on Friday.
The National Salvation Front, the Rebel campaign and the 30 June Front have all called for public gatherings at Tahrir Square and the Ittihadiya presidential palace.
At least 90 people have been killed and almost 2,000 injured in political unrest over the past week, heightening polarisation during the country's troubled transition to democracy.
US, Germany urge Morsi's release
The US State Department on Friday called on the Egyptian army and presidency to release Morsi, who remains in police custody, following similar calls from Germany.
However, speaking at Rabaa Al-Adawiya late Friday night, Brotherhood leading member Mohamed El-Beltagi said "our demand is not simply the release of Morsi', but his reinstatement as the legitimate leader of the country and the dismissal of Defence Minister Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi."
Morsi is being held at an unknown location since his ouster. The US had earlier condemned "arbitrary" arrests of some of the top leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood, but had refrained from referring to detainees by name.
Brotherhood second-in-command Khairat El-Shatter, is among the group's top figures arrested since Morsi's ouster.
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/76341/Egypt/Politics-/United-States-calls-on-Egyptian-army-to-release-Mo.aspx
United States calls on Egyptian army to release Morsi
State department spokesperson says US agrees with Germany's appeal for the release of Mohamed Morsi, reveals ambassador met with new Egyptian president
AFP, Ahram Online, Friday 12 Jul 2013
State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the United States agreed with Germany's earlier appeal for Morsi to be released and was "publicly" making the same request.
Morsi has been held in a "safe place," according to the interim leaders, and has not been seen in public since his ouster July 3.
Psaki said that US officials had been in regular contact with all sectors of Egyptian society.
But in past days, while condemning arbitrary arrests, she had refused to say whether the US administration believed Morsi should be freed.
Psaki revealed that US ambassador to Egypt, Anne Patterson, had met with Egypt's interim president Adly Mansour.
Psaki also says the latest wave of arrests of Islamists in Egypt is "politically motivated, calling on authorities to treat the detainees well.
A large number of Brotherhood and Islamist figures have been detained in the wake of Morsi's ouster, including Brotherhood's second-man Khairat El-Shater and former Salafist presidential hopeful Hazem Salah Abu-Ismail. Over 200 of Morsi's supporters have also been detained and interrogated over Monday's clashes at the republican guard headquarters, which saw over 50 killed.
US position 'undetermined,' 'developing'
On 3 June General Commander Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi removed Morsi from his post as president after millions took the streets in Egypt demanding early presidential elections. Head of the High Constitutional Court Adly Mansour was appointed as interim president for the transition period. Mansour issued a constitutional declaration outlining the new roadmap.
Immediately after the ousting of President Morsi, President Obama expressed concern and left the door open for the US to call the move a "military coup."
However, as Egypt moved ahead with the formation of a new transitional government, and under pressure from some in his own congress, the US began to strike a more conciliatory tone.
On Wednesday, the US state department spokesperson Jen Psaki said "It's clear that the Egyptian people have spoken,", when asked whether Washington still considered Morsi the legitimate president.
"There's an interim government in place... this is leading the path to democracy, we are hopeful. And we are in touch with a range of actors. But obviously, he is no longer in his acting position."
Challenged about the fact that, before his ouster, Egypt already had a democratically elected government, Psaki replied: "It wasn't a democratic rule. That's the whole point."
These Wednesday statements marked a shift in US stand from the 30 June protests and the ouster of Mohamed Morsi.
Upon Morsi’s ouster, Psaki said that the US is 'very concerned' about the situation in Egypt. The situation in Egypt remains fluid, and the United States cannot confirm whether a military coup is underway, she said.
US lawmakers are to vote next week on whether what happened in Egypt is a “Coup”. The United States currently sends $1.3 billion in military aid and $250 million in economic aid to Egypt each year, but the military coup label would cut off the flow under a US law dating to the 1980s.
Germany takes lead
Earlier on Friday, Germany called for the release of ousted Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi amid mounting tensions between supporters and opponents over his overthrow.
Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood and opponents of Morsi have called separate rallies across Cairo Friday amid fears of further bloodshed in the Arab world's most populous country.
"We call for an end to the restrictions on Mr Morsi's whereabouts," a German foreign ministry spokesman told reporters.
The German ministry spokesman said a "trusted institution" such as the International Committee of the Red Cross should be granted access to Morsi.
Morsi is currently being held in a "safe place, for his safety" and has not yet been charged with anything, according to the Egyptian foreign ministry, but military and judicial sources say he may eventually face charges.
Salafist gunmen on Jabal Al-Halal, Sinai
DEBKAfile Special Report Jul 12, 2013, 6:40 PM (IDT)
Israeli military sources reported Friday, July 12, that an Egyptian Apache gunship flying over the Gaza Strip had strayed off-course. DEBKAfile: The Egyptian helicopter was not off-course; its mission was to block the two-way, inter-terror traffic ongoing between Sinai and the Gaza Strip. The Apaches at the new Egyptian military helicopter base in El Arish enabled Egyptian forces Friday - for the first time - to strike Hamas targets in Gaza and also reach al Qaeda-affiliated Salafists in their Jabal Al-Halal mountain strongholds of central Sinai.
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