(AFP File Photo)
The National Coalition to Support Legitimacy (NCSL) alleged in a Monday statement that the army leaflets threatened protesters.
The armed forces dropped flyers onto protesters from helicopters on Sunday night, which read: “My brother, the noble citizen… rest assured… this is your armed forces…. Do not block roads and disrupt the sick, the traveller and a person in need and do not call for violence or rage…”
“Your armed forces are dedicated to you and will not accept that you are intimidated, threatened or terrorised… So take care of yourself,” the leaflet stated.
The NCSL said in its statement: “peaceful protesters were surprised by statements thrown from helicopters that contain threats and intimidation, ending with the words ‘take care of yourself’ which is considered a direct threat.” It added that this expressed a “culture of oppression.”
Army spokesperson Ahmed Ali said that the army did drop flyers on Sunday, but denied that there was any threat.
He said that his and Defence Minister Abdul Fatah Al-Sisi’s statements sent the message: “come back to your family,” adding that this is a political rift, not a religious dispute. “The Egypt we are building does not exclude anyone,” he said.
The coalition said that it holds the “leadership of the coup responsible for Egyptian blood that was spilled and that will be spilled.”
Former president Mohamed Morsi’s supporters consider his 3 July removal from power a coup, and have repeatedly marched calling for his return to power and are holding several sit-ins.
Army jets dropped flyers on the sit-ins on Friday urging protesters to go home and promising that they will not be persecuted for their participation in the sit-in.
