Islamists still sitting in, may move to MOD

Accounts of the continued sit-in at Rabea al-Adaweya Mosque have differed, but some leaders of the protest confirmed on Thursday that they were remaining in place to support former President Mohamed Morsi’s “legitimacy.”  

After millions took to the street to demand an end to Morsi's rule on June 30 and continued demonstrating for the next four days, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) announced the Islamist president's ouster on Wednesday night.

In the aftermath of SCAF’s statement, pro-Brotherhood television channels including Misr 25, Al-Hafez, Al-Rahma and Al Jazeera Mubasher Misr were swiftly shut down. However, state-run newspaper Al-Akhbar reported on Thursday that online activists had shared links broadcasting the sit-in live through the internet.

One protester at the sit-in, 46-year-old Mahmoud Ahmed — an English teacher from Fayoum — said that those gathered at the mosque represented the majority of the nation. What Defense Minister Abdel Fattah al-Sisi did would go down in history as grand treason against Egyptians, he claimed.

Although the army generals called for democracy, they only wanted the privileged few to rule, Ahmed asserted.

"Corrupt generals toppled Morsi, as did remnants of the old regime and the Christian population,” he accused. “And the latter must respect that they live under an Islamic nation that has protected their rights for very long."

Nour "Khamees" Abdel Hafez, a presenter on Misr 25, was greeted with loud cheers when he appeared on stage at the sit-in. However, the crowds were less enthused when he stated that Salafis were the only true Muslims, quieting their supportive chants.

The crowds cheered intermittently at mentions of Morsi’s legitimacy and the need to continue the Islamist regime. A huge uproar swept the sit-in after one protester on the stage declared that General Sisi was a traitor to the nation and President Morsi would be reinstated to his position. Then, two men in their early 30s declared that Morsi was appointed by God, and could only be removed from office by God himself, while Islamic songs were chanted in the background.

The Freedom and Justice Party website — the official interface of the Brotherhood's political arm — stated on Thursday that some members of the sit-in planned to move toward the Ministry of Defense and hold a sit-in there to pressure the military to rescind its recent actions.