Thousands of protesters stage anti-Morsi rallies across Egypt
Iran Press TV
Sun Jun 30, 2013 2:7PM GMT
Thousands of angry protesters are staging mass nationwide protest rallies to demand the ouster of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi.
A large number of jubilant anti-Morsi protesters gathered in Cairo’s iconic Liberation Square on Sunday afternoon.
In Alexandria, Egypt's second biggest city, thousands of demonstrators are gathering in main squares across the volatile city. The Suez Canal city of Port Said is also expected to see similar rallies.
The protests come on the first anniversary of Morsi's election as the country's first elected president.
The demonstrators are angry with Morsi's handling of the economy and failure to fulfill his electoral promises. The opposition groups say they have collected at least 22 million signatures calling for him to step down.
Meanwhile, Morsi's supporters are also holding rival mass rallies to defend the legitimacy of the president.
There are rising fears over a fresh round of violence. At least eight people have been killed and dozens more injured in clashes between Morsi's supporters and opponents across Egypt in the past week.
Security forces and paramilitary troops have been deployed to protect key buildings across the North African country. The Health Ministry says hospitals have been placed on high alert.
Several political groups say the government is dominated by Muslim Brotherhood. The opposition also accuses Morsi of deviating from the 2011 revolution that toppled the Western-backed regime of Hosni Mubarak.
Morsi’s supporters, however, say the president is cleansing Egyptian institutions of corruption. They also believe he needs time to put into practice the principles of the 2011 revolution.
Egypt has witnessed continuing anti-government protests since Morsi took office in June 2012 in a landmark election held following the ouster of Mubarak.
Several Egyptian clerics and some religious circles have warned against a civil war and called on both sides to be calm.
JR/PR
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