Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Egyptian Opponents of Military Coup Call for Fresh Demonstrations on Tuesday

Pro-Morsi alliance calls for Tuesday rallies to protest violence

Several marches and demonstrations will take place on Tuesday to commemorate 'bloodshed' on Saturday, when over 80 Morsi supporters were killed in clashes with the police

Ahram Online, Tuesday 30 Jul 2013

Egypt's National Coalition for Supporting Legitimacy, an alliance led by the Muslim Brotherhood demanding the reinstatement of ousted president Mohamed Morsi, has called for mass rallies on Tuesday to condemn the killing of dozens of pro-Morsi protesters during clashes with security forces on Saturday.

"We never imagined that the coup perpetrators would be that bloody. The leader of the coup claimed he had popular support to practice aggressive oppression against the blood of Egyptians," read a statement released by the coalition.

"We call on the masses to rage against the bloodshed of unarmed Egyptians and to take to the street and to continue the peaceful revolt against the oppressive measures practiced by the leaders of the coup d'état."

Over 80 Morsi supporters were killed and hundreds injured on Saturday during clashes with police forces near the pro-Morsi sit-in in Rabaa Al-Adawiya Square in Cairo, where Morsi's supporters have camped out for four weeks.

Hours before the clashes, mass protests were held in Cairo's Tahrir Square and several cities in response to a call made by Egyptian armed forces chief and defence minister Abdel Fattah El-Sisi requesting popular support to confront "violence and terrorism."

The coalition announced that a women's demonstration will march on the defence ministry with empty caskets on Tuesday at noon. Meanwhile, another women's march will take off from the pro-Morsi sit-in in at Nahda Square in Giza and pass by a number of embassies.

Another march on the pro-Morsi sit-in in Rabaa Al-Adawiya will be held as a symbolic funeral of slain protesters, whereas a press conference by the relatives of those killed in the clashes will be held at 5pm.

The coalition has also planned a student vigil at the location of the clashes, near the sit-in, where protesters will be holding pictures taken of the clashes. A funeral for slain protesters will also be held at 10 pm near the sit-in.

Islamist supporters of Morsi have been holding a sit-in at Rabaa Al-Adawiya demanding Morsi's reinstatement since his ouster by the military on 3 July.

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