Egyptian military jets fly over Tahrir Square as protesters, who are against former Egyptian president Mohammed Mursi, gather in Cairo yesterday.
CAIRO: Hundreds of thousands of supporters and opponents of ousted Egyptian President Mohammed Mursi gathered in Cairo and Alexandria yesterday, two days after similar gatherings led to nationwide clashes that claimed more than 30 lives.
The huge crowds, likely to stay out in the streets until the early hours, raised the risk of further violence while a military-driven plan to resolve the political crisis remained mired in mistrust and confusion, dashing hopes of a quick fix.
Protesters opposed to Mursi crammed into Cairo’s Tahrir Square and at the presidential palace in a festive atmosphere. Unlike Friday there were no running street battles with Mursi’s supporters and soldiers, despite a much bigger turnout.
Those who backed Mursi and his Muslim Brotherhood movement concentrated in vast numbers outside a mosque in the northeast of the city, and outside the Republican Guard barracks where Mursi was being held and three people were killed on Friday.
“We will not leave until Mursi returns. Otherwise we’ll die as martyrs,” said 55-year-old Hanim Ahmad Ali Al Sawi, wearing a veil over her face in the searing sun, as soldiers and policemen looked on from behind barbed wire.
Reuters
