President Mohamed Morsy performed Eid al-Fitr prayers Sunday at the Mosque of Amr ibn al-Aas, causing severe congestion and chaos in the area surrounding the mosque.
Thousands gathered around the mosque, attempting to get inside, but they could not because of the large number of worshippers present. Thus, lines of people performing prayers were formed in streets surrounding the mosque.
Towards the end of the sermon of the Imam, Shiekh Ismail al-Deftar, some began chanting, “We love you Morsy” and “God is Great.”
Deftar prayed that God guides the president to “whatever is good for our country.” He also prayed for “the development of the nation, and the recovery of Jerusalem.”
By end of the sermon, some worshipers surrounded Morsy and had a short talk before he left the mosque.
Vehicles belonging to the Central Security Forces were present near the Mosque, while dozens of Central Security soldiers spread across the area to manage the entry and exit of worshipers.
Their deployment caused several altercations between police officers and some worshipers who accused them of causing the congestion. Police officers said that the jam was caused by the thousands of people flocking to see President Morsy.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
