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On 30 June 2013, on the first anniversary of the election of Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi, millions of protesters across Egypt took to the streets and demanded the immediate resignation of the president because of political, economic and social issues that had escalated in his term. In Cairo, tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered in Tahrir Square and outside the presidential palace, while other demonstrations were held in the cities of Alexandria, Port Said and Suez. The demonstrations, which had been largely peaceful, turned violent when five anti-Morsi protesters were killed in separate clashes and shootings. At the same time, supporters of Morsi staged a rally in Nasr City, a district of Cairo.

On the morning of 1 July, anti-Morsi protesters ransacked the national headquarters of the Muslim Brotherhood in Cairo. Protesters threw objects at windows and looted the building, making off with office equipment and documents. The Health and Population Ministry confirmed the deaths of eight people who had been killed in clashes around the headquarters in Mokattam.

The situation has escalated into a full national political and consitutional crisis, with the Morsi refusing the military's demands for him to leave power and the army was threatening to take over if the politicians do not resolve the situation.

Background

The mass demonstrations were planned by Tamarod, a grassroots movement that claims it has collected more than 22 million signatures from a petition calling for Morsi to step down as president. Tamarod was founded in April 2013 by the members of the Egyptian Movement for Change, which was formed in 2004 to push for political reform under the rule of former president Hosni Mubarak. In February 2011, Mubarak was ousted after 18 days of mass demonstrations, thus ending his 29-year rule of Egypt. Since then incidents continued under the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, after Morsi took office and from 2012 into 2013.

Pro-Morsi and democracy supporters such as the Legitimacy Support Alliance started demonstrations at El-Hossari Mosque on 6 October, 2012 in El-Nahda Square in Giza, outside Cairo University, outside Al-Rayan Mosque in the posh suburb Maadi and in Ain Shams district. They had started open-ended rallies and a sit-in at Rabaa Al-Adawiya Square in Nasr City since Friday 28 June..

The armed forces' "tipping point" against the president was a 15 June rally which he attended along with other Islamists in which he called for a jihad in Syria amidst the Syrian civil war and called those Shias fighting for the Syrian government and those who opposed the president in Egypt as "infidels." Morsi also called for foreign intervention in Syria against the Syrian government, a move that was rebuked by the army who said that its role was the protection of Egypt's borders.

Protests

Tamarod had given President Mohammed Morsi until 17:00 (15:00 GMT) to resign or face a civil disobedience campaign. That led nationwide protests in the country have given the president Mohammed Morsi an ultimatum to resign as president of Egypt on 2 July. On the other hand, there was a small group of counter-protests (only in Cairo) by supporters of the ruling Islamist alliance.

On the morning of 1 July, anti-Morsi protesters ransacked the national headquarters of the Muslim Brotherhood in Cairo. Protesters threw objects at windows and looted the building, making off with office equipment and documents. The health ministry confirmed the deaths of eight people who had been killed in clashes around the headquarters in Mokattam. In Cairo and Alexandra, some police officers wearing their uniforms joined the anti-Morsi protests and chanted: "The police and the people are one."

On 2 July, opponents and supporters of Morsi gathered in the capital, Cairo, as the deadline set by the protest group for him to leave power passed. Helicopters were also present around Cairo with armored vehicles taking up positions.

On 3 July, gunmen opened fire on a pro-Morsi rally in Cairo, killing 16 and wounding 200. As the deadline approached, there was renewed expectation of an increase in violence, according to the media. Morsi was put under house arrest; others suggested he was taken to a military base and his travel was restricted. According to the Office of Assistant to President of Egypt on Foreign Relations, a military coup is underway in Egypt with tanks on the move. He said: "Either way there will be considerable bloodshed. And the message will resonate throughout the Muslim World loud and clear: democracy is not for Muslims..."

Response

External videos
Helicopter view of the millions of protesters

On 1 July, the Egyptian Armed Forces issued a 48-hour ultimatum which gave the country's political parties until 3 July to meet the demands of the Egyptian people. The Egyptian military also threatened to intervene if the dispute is not resolved by then. Four Ministers also resigned on the same day: Tourism Minister Hisham Zazou (who previously offered to resign a few months ago after Morsi appointed an Islamist linked to the group that attacked tourists as governor of Luxor), Communication and IT Minister Atef Helmi, State Minister for Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Hatem Bagato and State Minister for Environmental Affairs Khaled Abdel Aal, leaving the government with members of the Freedom and Justice Party.

On 2 July Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr resigned as well in support of the anti-government protesters. The presidency rejected the Egyptian Army's 48 hour ultimatum vowing that the president is sticking with his own plans for national reconciliation to resolve the political crisis. Defense Minister General Abdul Fatah Khalil Al-Sisi was also said to have told Morsi that he would impose a military solution if a political one could not be found by the next day.

Incidentally the Egyptian court of cassation ordered the reinstatement of former general prosecutor Abdel Maguid Mahmoud who was replaced with Talaat Abdallah following the constitutional declaration on November 22, 2012. The Presidency spokesman and the spokesman for the cabinet resigned as well.

The newspaper Al-Ahram reported that if there was no resolution the military would suspend the constitution of Egypt and appoint a new council of experts to draft a new one, institute a three-person executive council and appoint a prime minister from the military. Morsi's military advisor, Sami Hafez Anan, also resigned and said that the army would not "abandon the will of the people."

Morsi declared, in a late-night television address, that he would "defend the legitimacy of his elected office with his life". He added that "there is no substitute for legitimacy" as he vowed not to resign. Morsi accused supporters of Hosni Mubarak of exploiting the wave of protests to topple the government and fight democracy. Military leaders also issued a statement entitled "The Final Hours" in which they said that they were willing to shed their blood against "terrorists and fools" following Morsi's refusal to step down from his elected office.

As the 16:35 deadline set by the army approached, military leaders met for emergency talks with the army expected to issue a statement when the deadline passes. Mohamed El-Baradei, who was chosen to represent the National Salvation Front, was also said to have met army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. On 3 July, just before the deadline approached, Morsi offered to form a consensus government. An army state read: "The General Command of the Armed Forces is currently meeting with a number of religious, national, political and youth icons...There will be a statement issued from the General Command as soon as they are done." At the same time the Freedom and Justice Party's senior leader, Waleed al-Haddad, said: "We do not go to invitations (meetings) with anyone. We have a president and that is it." After the deadline has expired, President Morsi has been arrested and held at a military station by the army. Travel restrictions have been applied on him. After a few minutes military personnal and multiple tanks took possession on the national tv station and disposed under the Presidential Palace and near the university. Tanks have also been observed blocking major highways to Cairo. According to government sources a full military coup is taking place.

International reactions

Supranational bodies

•  United Nations – UN spokesman Eduardo del Buey stated that while most of the protests appear to be peaceful, "the reports of a number of deaths and injuries, of sexual assault against women demonstrators, as well as acts of destruction of property are to be strongly condemned."

States

•  United States – The President of the United States of America, Barack Obama, remarked on 1 July in a Press conference in Tanzania that "our number-one priority has been making sure that our embassies and consulates are protected. Number two, what we’ve consistently insisted on is that all parties involved – whether it's members of Mr. Morsi's party or the opposition – that they remain peaceful. And although we have not seen the kind of violence that many had feared so far, the potential remains there, and everybody has to show restraint..."

Others

Human Rights Watch have alleged there that have been sexual assaults, including gang-rape, as a method to terrorise the anti-government opposition. In July alone, womens' activists have reported 43 alleged sexual assaults of both foreign and domestic women.

See also

• Algerian Civil War, commenced after a popularly elected Islamist party was denied the ability to carry out its mandate

References

1. ^ Hamdi Alkhshali; Reza Sayah; Chelsea J. Carter (2 July 2013). "Showdown? Egypt's Morsy calls on military to withdraw 'ultimatum'". CNN. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
2. Patrick Kingsley (30 June 2013). "Protesters across Egypt call for Mohamed Morsi to go". The Guardian.
3. Hendawi, Hamza; Macdonald, Alastair (30 June 2013). "Egypt protests: Thousands gather at Tahrir Square to demand Morsi's ouster". AP via Toronto Star. Retrieved 30 June 2013. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
4. Spencer, Richard (1 July 2013). "Egypt protests: Army issues 48-hour ultimatum for agreement amid clashes". The Daily Telegraph. Cairo. Retrieved 1 July 2013.
5. ^ "Egypt crisis: Mass protests over Morsi grip cities". BBC News. 1 July 2013. Retrieved 1 July 2013.
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7. "Tahrir Square protesters show President Mursi the 'red card'". Al Arabiya. 30 June 2013. Retrieved 1 July 2013.
8. ^ "Profile: Egypt's Tamarod protest movement". BBC News. 1 July 2013. Retrieved 1 July 2013.
9. http://www.focac.org/eng/zjfz/fzsz/t1054696.htm
10. http://www.theatlanticwire.com/global/2013/06/heres-what-todays-massive-anti-morsi-protests-egypt-looked/66728/
11. http://video.xin.msn.com/watch/video/pro-morsi-protesters-rally-for-their-president/yqppqpft?from=gallery_en-sg&sf=Relevancy
12. http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/75483.aspx
13. http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/75183/Egypt/Politics-/At-proMorsi-rally,-Brotherhoods-top-cleric-appeals.aspx
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16. ^ "Four Egypt rivals take to streets ahead of Morsi deadline". BBC News.
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18. ^ Mursi Trust in Army’s Man Loyalty Backfires as Egypt Teeters
19. "Gun attack on Cairo pro-Morsi rally kills 16: ministry".
20. http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2013/07/201373104310728444.html
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26. Abdelaziz, Salma (1 July 2013). "Egyptian military issues warning over protests". CNN. Retrieved 1 July 2013.
27. Patrick Werr. "Four Egyptian ministers resign after protests: cabinet official". Reuters. Retrieved 1 July 2013.
28. "FM becomes fifth cabinet official to resign". Egypt Independent. 2 July 2013. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
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30. "Court orders return of Meguid Mahmoud as prosecutor general". Egypt Independent. 2 July 2013. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
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32. Kirkpatrick, David D.; Hubbard, Ben (2 July 2013). "Morsi Defies Egypt Army's Ultimatum to Bend to Protest". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
33. http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2013/07/20137215593626253.html
34. "Egypt's Mohammed Morsi vows to stay in office". BBC News. 3 July 2013.
35. http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2013/07/20137222343142718.html
36. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/breaking-news/egypt-protesters-mass-after-morsi-snub/story-fn3dxix6-1226673461184
37. "Egypt's President Mohammed Morsi, Army Chiefs Prepare For Showdown Hours Ahead Of Ultimatum". Huffington Post.
38. http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2013/07/20137394753443155.html
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Further reading

• Al-Anani, Khalil; Malik, Maszlee (2013). "Pious Way to Politics: The Rise of Political Salafism in Post-Mubarak Egypt". Digest of Middle East Studies. 22 (1): 57–73. doi:10.1111/dome.12012.
• Tadros, Mariz (2012). The Muslim Brotherhood in Contemporary Egypt: Democracy Defined or Confined?. London: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-46596-0.
• Weber, Peter C. (2013). "Modernity, Civil Society, and Sectarianism: The Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood and the Takfir Groups". Voluntas. 24 (2): 509–527. doi:10.1007/s11266-012-9299-4.

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