Islamist forces have called for mass demonstrations on Friday in front of the Raba’a Al-Adawiya Mosque in Nasr City starting at 10 am to support President Mohamed Morsy’s legitimacy and the peacefulness of the revolution.
They warned against any attempts to breach security in front of the Ettehadiya Presidential Palace.
Morsy’s opponents are in the second-week of a sit-in in front of the palace. Deadly clashes broke out last week between anti-Morsy protesters and Islamist demonstrators, who came to disband the sit-in by force.
The Islamist coalition, which is composed of 13 parties and movements, warned in a statement on Thursday against any attempted “coups against legitimacy.”
The statement denied any intention to attack protests at Tahrir Square, as had been reported. The coalition called such reports cheap rumors intended to drive a wedge between the Islamic movement and revolutionary forces.
Egyptians are set to vote on the newly finished draft of the constitution in a national referendum that is scheduled for 15 and 22 December.
Morsy’s decision to put the constitution up for a referendum has caused sharp political divisions between the Islamist forces supporting it and liberal and leftist forces demanding a constitution based on consensus. The draft was issued by the Islamist-dominated Constituent Assembly, which saw withdrawals of representatives of churches and civil powers.
The Popular Current, a liberal coalition led by former presidential candidate Hamdeen Sabbahi, has also called for marches on Friday across Cairo to raise awareness of the dangers of approving the draft constitution.
The first march begins in Tahrir Square and the second at the presidential palace.
Amr Ali, member of the political bureau of the April 6 Youth Movement, told the Turkish Anadolu news agency that the movement is participating in marches west and east of Cairo to educate citizens of the disadvantages of the draft constitution.
Esra Abdel Fattah, a founding member of the Constitution Party, told the independent Al-Watan newspaper that the party is also taking part in Friday’s mass anti-constitution demonstration around the presidential palace.
