Egypt protests call for return of Morsi

15/03/2014| IslamWeb

Thousands of people took to streets across Egypt in a show of support for the ousted president, Mohamed Morsi, and against the possibility of Egypt's military chief becoming his replacement.

Protests on Friday in Cairo, Beni Suef and other areas, were organised by supporters of the Morsi, with most happening after Friday prayers. No injuries or deaths were reported.

They happened on the same day that the country's only presidential candidate, Hamdeen Sabahi, said his campaigners would not undermine the military.

Sabahi, a leftist politician who came in third in Egypt's 2012 presidential election, could, soon find himself competing with Field Marshal Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, Egypt's military chief, for the presidency.

Zakaryya Abdel-Hady, an assistant professor of Islamic thought and culture at Qatar University told Al Jazeera that Sisi was already running the show, and that the interim cabinet was "just part of the decor to try to convince the west that there is a civilian government," Abdel-Hady said.

The military chief visited the United Arab Emirates, a strong supporter of the July removal of Morsi, on Wednesday.

During that visit he said he could not ignore demands that he run for president.

The army also gave el-Sisi the green light to resign from his military post in January, allowing him to run for president.

A date has not yet been announced for the presidential election.

PHOTO CAPTION

An Egyptian riot policeman stands in the gun turret of an armored vehicle during clashes with supporters of Ousted President Mohammed Morsi in Alexandria, Egypt, Friday, March 7, 2014.

Al-Jazeera