Egypt Morsi: Mass political protests grip cities
The BBC's Aleem Maqbool in Tahrir Square says the size of the protest has been wholly unexpected
Huge
protests across Egypt calling for the resignation of President Mohammed
Morsi have continued through the night, with sporadic outbreaks of
violence.
In the capital, Cairo, tens of thousands of people have been
massed in Tahrir Square and outside the presidential palace. They have
vowed to stay on until Mr Morsi steps down.At least one person was killed in clashes at Cairo's headquarters of the governing Muslim Brotherhood movement.
Four others died in clashes elsewhere.
Millions of protesters across the country accuse the country's first Islamist president of failing to tackle economic and security problems since taking power a year ago.
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Many of those on the streets feel betrayed by a president who
they say has been uninterested in uniting Egyptians despite once
promising to be inclusive. They feel that he has instead governed purely
in the interests of his own party.
For his part, the president insists he has invited opposition groups to enter into dialogue but that they have not co-operated. His supporters say that whatever the considerable problems Egypt is facing, Mohammed Morsi must see out his full term in office for the sake of stability.
Some pro-Morsi demonstrators have decided to stage their own sit-ins, an there are fears of clashes between opposing groups.
The coming hours, and the way the situation is handled by the authorities, are likely to give us clear indications about whether or not Egypt's president can survive in office as he insists he will.
Analysis
For his part, the president insists he has invited opposition groups to enter into dialogue but that they have not co-operated. His supporters say that whatever the considerable problems Egypt is facing, Mohammed Morsi must see out his full term in office for the sake of stability.
Some pro-Morsi demonstrators have decided to stage their own sit-ins, an there are fears of clashes between opposing groups.
The coming hours, and the way the situation is handled by the authorities, are likely to give us clear indications about whether or not Egypt's president can survive in office as he insists he will.
Cairo's Tahrir Square on Sunday saw the biggest demonstration since the 2011 revolution which ousted President Hosni Mubarak.
The demonstration was largely peaceful, but some protesters
later threw stones and petrol bombs at the Cairo headquarters of the
Muslim Brotherhood.At least one person was killed when shooting broke out near the political office, activists and a hospital official said.
Meanwhile, thousands of Mr Morsi supporters staged a rally in the Cairo suburb of Nasr City.
A presidential spokesman later urged the protesters to respect the democratic process, referring to Mr Morsi's victory in last year's elections which were widely seen as free and fair.
One clear achievement of President Morsi's opponents has been to get so many people out on to the streets, BBC's Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen reports from Cairo.
The question they face now is how to fashion a political strategy that can rival the organisation of the Muslim Brotherhood, he says.
Another big question, he adds, is what the army will do. The defence minister has warned that the military may intervene if Egypt becomes ungovernable.
Society split On Sunday, one man was killed and at least 24 injured in Beni Suef, 115km (71 miles) south of Cairo, security sources said.
According to a report on the Ahram news website, Morsi supporters attacked an opposition rally and unidentified gunmen opened fire. The report could not be confirmed independently.
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A huge crowd of protesters stretched along an avenue near the presidential palace in Cairo on Sunday evening
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In the southern city of Assiut, three
people died and several were injured when shots were fired at
protesters, reportedly by attackers on a motorcycle.
According to the health ministry, 253 people were injured across the country during Sunday's protests.
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Mohammed Morsi's first year
- June 2012 - Narrowly wins presidential election. Orders parliament to meet in defiance of a military decree dissolving it
- July 2012 - Submits to a Supreme Court ruling that the parliamentary elections were invalid
- August 2012 - Dismisses Defence Minister Hussein Tantawi and Chief of Staff Sami Annan, and strips military of say in legislation and drafting the new constitution
- November 2012 - Rescinds a decree stripping the judiciary of the right to challenge his decisions, after popular protests
- December 2012 - Public vote approves draft constitution boosting the role of Islam and restricting freedom of speech and assembly
- March 2013 - Court halts his plans to bring parliamentary elections forward to April, citing failure to refer the electoral law to the Constitutional Court
- June 2013 - Puts Islamists in charge of 13 of Egypt's 27 governorships - controversially he appoints a member of the former armed group Gamaa Islamiya to be governor of Luxor
In Cairo, unidentified persons
attacked the Muslim Brotherhood headquarters, which had been fortified
with sandbags earlier. Staff inside said they had not broken in, Reuters
news agency reports.
Demonstrations were also held in Alexandria, Port Said, Suez and other cities.Presidential spokesman Ihab Fahmi called on all Egyptians to "unite and listen to the sound of wisdom".
"Political diversity necessitates on all parties to abide by the democratic process," he said.
And he reiterated that President Morsi was open to a "real and serious national dialogue".
As darkness fell, the opposition National Salvation Front (NSF) released what it called "Revolution Statement 1", calling on protesters across Egypt to "maintain their peaceful [rallies] in all the squares and streets and villages and hamlets of the country... until the last of this dictatorial regime falls".
The NSF is among liberal and secular opposition groups which have endorsed a petition organised by the grassroots movement Tamarod (Rebellion), which calls for a snap election. Opposition activists say more than 22 million people have signed it.
There was also some evidence of anti-American and anti-Israeli feeling among the protesters, with one flag portraying President Morsi inside a Star of David.
The BBC's Aleem Maqbool in Cairo says many ordinary Egyptians - angered by Mr Morsi's political and economic policies - are taking part in the rally in Tahrir Square.
At one point, army helicopters flew over Tahrir Square and dropped Egyptian flags, to cheers from the anti-Morsi crowd, he says.
Mr Morsi, who hails from the Muslim Brotherhood, became president on 30 June 2012.
His first year as president has been marred by constant political unrest and a sinking economy.
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