Hundreds of thousands converged on Tahrir Square on Tuesday protesting President Mohamed Morsy’ latest constitutional declaration, issued last Thursday, giving his presidential decisions immunity against judicial review, forbidding the courts from dissolving either the current Constituent Assembly drafting the constitution or the Shura Council, and appointing a new prosecutor general. Calls for Tuesday demonstrations were made by various groups from across the political spectrum uniting in their rejection of the decree. People flocked into the square starting noon with a noteworthy increase in numbers round 3pm as student, lawyer and press syndicate marches reached the square. People filling the square chanting “down with Al-Murshid” and “Tahrir is filled without the Brotherhood.” The Egyptian flag flew across the square, after different political groups instructed their members not to carry partisan banners or flags.
Two main marches with thousands of people were about to reach Tahrir at the time of print; one from Shubra led by Nobel laureate and ex-presidential candidate Mohamed ElBaradei, the other from Mostafa Mahmoud Mosque headed by leftist activist and ex-presidential candidate Hamdeen Sabahy. Both have been vocally critical of Morsy’s decree with ElBaradei warning of a possible civil war between Brotherhood supporters and protesters following the death of two teenagers, one belonging to ElBaradei’s Al-Dostour Party and the other to the Muslim Brotherhood on Monday.
Many governorates including Alexandria, Assuit and Menya among others are witnessing simultaneous demonstrations.
A sit-in has already started in Tahrir square on Sunday and is expected to continue until Morsy withdraws the decree with greater escalation promised if he does not.
Photos by AFP, Hassan Ibrahim, Mohamed Omar