The National Coalition to Support Legitimacy (NCSL) called for a “million-man march of rage” to denounce what it described as the “violent campaign” security forces launched against protesters calling for the reinstatement of ousted president Mohamed Morsi.
Violent clashes reigned over Egypt’s streets after Central Security Forces forcibly dispersed the two pro-Morsi sit-ins in Cairo at Rabaa Al-Adaweya and Al-Nahda square on Wednesday.
In a statement released on Thursday, the NCSL stated that the “crimes committed by the putschists” against them made them more insistent on refusing what they described as a “military coup” against Morsi.
“Aiming to reverse the coup is an Islamic, national, moral and humanitarian duty,” the statement read.
“Our revolution is a peaceful one. We will continue to non-violently rally in the streets,” The NCSL said. It added that violence is not their methodology and that sabotage only aims to taint their “peaceful revolution” and provide the “coup leaders” with an excuse to remain in power.
Muslim Brotherhood spokesman Gehad El-Haddad stated on his official twitter account that marches will take off from “all Cairo mosques” following the Friday prayer, headed to Ramses Square in downtown Cairo.
The NCSL stated marches will leave from 28 mosques around Cairo. The mosques include Al-Nour in Abasseya, Al-Fatah in Ramses, Mustafa Mahmoud in Mohandessin and Al-Istiqama in Giza.
The clashes which followed the sit-ins’ dispersal left at least 578 civilians dead, according to the Ministry of Health and 42 policemen killed, according to the Ministry of Interior. The Brotherhood meanwhile puts the death toll at over 2000.
The last Friday of Rage took place on 28 January 2011 at the height of the January uprising against former president Hosni Mubarak. The day witnessed attacks on several police stations and the burning of the Cairo headquarters of Mubarak’s National Democratic Party. Protesters took hold of Tahrir Square, their sit-in location, on that day.
