This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/13/world/middleeast/egypt-morsi.html

The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 1 Version 2
Thousands of Morsi Supporters Rally in Egypt Hardening Split in Egypt as Islamists Stage Huge Demonstrations
(about 5 hours later)
CAIRO — Hundreds of thousands of Egyptian Islamists and other supporters of Mohamed Morsi, the country’s first freely elected president who was ousted and detained by the military last week, filled public squares in Cairo and other cities on Friday in an intensified campaign aimed at returning him to power. The United States also dialed up its criticism, calling on Egypt’s interim authorities to release Mr. Morsi.CAIRO — Hundreds of thousands of Egyptian Islamists and other supporters of Mohamed Morsi, the country’s first freely elected president who was ousted and detained by the military last week, filled public squares in Cairo and other cities on Friday in an intensified campaign aimed at returning him to power. The United States also dialed up its criticism, calling on Egypt’s interim authorities to release Mr. Morsi.
The size of the protests underlined both the large section of society that has rejected the military intervention on July 3 that deposed Mr. Morsi after millions protested against him, and the continued split over the country’s direction. The protests underlined both the size of the opposition to the military’s intervention on July 3 and the hardening split over the country’s direction. Mr. Morsi’s supporters blocked major thoroughfares in parts of Cairo, snarling traffic and raising the prospect of further escalation, while Tahrir Square remained the domain of the anti-Morsi side.
In Washington, the State Department spokeswoman, Jen Psaki, said the United States concurred with an assertion made earlier in the day by Germany that Mr. Morsi should be released. Asked about Germany’s position at a daily briefing, she said, “We do agree.” In Washington, the State Department spokeswoman, Jen Psaki, said the United States concurred with a call made by Germany for Mr. Morsi to be released. Asked about Germany’s position at a daily briefing, she said, “We do agree.”
Ms. Psaki declined to specify whether the United States still recognized Mr. Morsi as the president of Egypt. But her response about his detention appeared to reflect growing concern by the Obama administration over the interim government’s promises to move toward new elections and an inclusive democratic system. Ms. Psaki declined to specify whether the United States still recognized Mr. Morsi as the president of Egypt. But her response about his detention appeared to reflect growing concern by the Obama administration over the interim government’s progress toward new elections and an inclusive democratic system.
Mr. Morsi’s supporters have denounced what they view as the Obama administration’s tepid criticisms, and some have accused the United States of quietly approving Mr. Morsi’s ouster. The Obama administration has pointedly refrained from calling the military intervention a coup, which could trigger an American law requiring a cutoff of aid to Egypt. Mr. Morsi’s supporters have denounced what they view as the Obama administration’s tepid criticisms, and some have accused the United States of quietly approving his ouster. The Obama administration has refrained from calling the military intervention a coup, which could trigger an American law requiring a cutoff of aid to Egypt.
Mr. Morsi has been held incommunicado in an undisclosed location since Egypt’s generals ordered him removed from power. They have said he is in custody for his own safety. But the interim government has also signaled that it may be preparing to prosecute him. Mr. Morsi has been held incommunicado in an undisclosed location since his removal after millions protested against him. Egypt’s generals have said he is in custody for his safety. But the interim government has also signaled that it may be preparing to prosecute him.
With many of Mr. Morsi’s Islamist supporters finding new motivation during the holy month of Ramadan, which started on Wednesday, the largest pro-Morsi sit-in, in the Cairo suburb of Nasr City, swelled to take on an increasing air of durability. With many of Mr. Morsi’s Islamist supporters finding new motivation during the holy month of Ramadan, which started this week, the largest pro-Morsi sit-in, in the Cairo suburb of Nasr City, swelled to take on an increasing air of durability.
Speakers attached to lampposts blasted the voices of speakers, singers and Koran readers on a central stage. Hundreds of tents have been erected on traffic islands and on side streets, where protesters fasting during the midday heat sleep on blankets, sheets of cardboard or asphalt streets. Loudspeakers attached to lampposts blasted the voices of speakers, singers and Koran reciters on a central stage. Hundreds of tents have been set up on traffic islands and on side streets, where fasting protesters slept on blankets, sheets of cardboard or asphalt streets in the midday heat.
The sit-in also serves as a safe zone of sorts for Muslim Brotherhood leaders and other members who are among the hundreds who have been put on wanted lists by the authorities since Mr. Morsi’s ouster.The sit-in also serves as a safe zone of sorts for Muslim Brotherhood leaders and other members who are among the hundreds who have been put on wanted lists by the authorities since Mr. Morsi’s ouster.
Speaking in a wing of the mosque at the center of the sit-in, Mohamed el-Beltagy, a former Parliament member and Brotherhood leader, laughed off his status as a wanted man, but said he had not left the encampment in days. Speaking in a mosque at the center of the sit-in, Mohamed el-Beltagy, a former Parliament member and Brotherhood leader, laughed off his status as a wanted man, but said he had not left the encampment in days.
“I’m not scared, but I stay here for the revolution,” he said.“I’m not scared, but I stay here for the revolution,” he said.
The authorities have accused him and other Brotherhood leaders of inciting violence against the army.The authorities have accused him and other Brotherhood leaders of inciting violence against the army.
Mr. Beltagy rejected statements by the new interim prime minister that held out the possibility that he may offer ministerial positions to members of the Muslim Brotherhood. Mr. Beltagy rejected statements by the new interim prime minister that held out the possibility of ministerial positions to Muslim Brotherhood members.
“They are shooting us and calling us terrorists who belong in prison, so how can they offer us ministerial portfolios?” he said.“They are shooting us and calling us terrorists who belong in prison, so how can they offer us ministerial portfolios?” he said.
Denying that there are any negotiations between Brotherhood leaders and the authorities of the military-led interim government over a way out of the crisis, he said that they would accept early presidential elections, but only after Mr. Morsi is returned to power. Denying that there were any negotiations between Brotherhood leaders and the military-led interim government to end the crisis, he said that the Brotherhood would accept early presidential elections, but only if Mr. Morsi was returned to power.
“We have no objection to early presidential elections after the return of the president and the Shura Council and the Constitution,” he said, referring to the upper house of Parliament. “We have no problem with early presidential elections, but under elected institutions, not under a tank.”“We have no objection to early presidential elections after the return of the president and the Shura Council and the Constitution,” he said, referring to the upper house of Parliament. “We have no problem with early presidential elections, but under elected institutions, not under a tank.”
Other protesters said they too foresaw a possibly protracted sit-in to press their demands. Despite the large number of demonstrators, many supporters of Mr. Morsi said they had started to fear that just holding large protests would not be enough to persuade the army to restore him to the presidency. The military so far has paid little heed to their demands, and their refusal to engage with the new leaders raises the possibility that they will be left out of the new order.
“I’ll stay until President Morsi is back in the presidential palace and the military is back in its barracks,” said Sayed Ragab, 43, an English teacher from a town north of Cairo who has not left his tent camp in eight days. Seeking to escalate their campaign, Mr. Morsi’s supporters blocked at least two major thoroughfares near their encampment as darkness fell, cutting off traffic with rocks, tires, concrete blocks and metal barricades
He and his friends and brought wood to build a tent, covered it with a tarpaulin and then laid out blankets for all to sleep on. Since the start of Ramadan, they have put their money together to buy food, mostly an Egyptian fava bean dish called fuul. Sitting on the pavement behind one of the barriers, Mohamed Salah, 33, called the new tactic “peaceful escalation.”
“Ramadan and fasting increase our will to continue,” Mr. Ragab said, brushing off a question about not eating or drinking from sunrise to sunset in the heat. “We are here because the military leaders have not paid any attention to us, so we are spreading out in the streets to show that we disagree with the coup,” he said.
Others said they had come not only to express their political opinions but also to soak up the atmosphere. Merchants have been plying the streets with everything from staplers to T-shirts reading “martyr project” to paper masks of Mr. Morsi’s face. Around the corner on the street that runs in front of the officers club of the Republican Guard, protesters were breaking pavement stones out of the sidewalk and stacking them into a makeshift wall across the street. The army killed more than 50 Morsi supporters in the same area on Monday.
Jihan Darwish said she had been bringing her four children, ages 10 to 18, every day for the last week. Thousands of demonstrators supporting the army’s intervention collected in Tahrir Square, the epicenter of the 2011 revolution that toppled Mr. Morsi’s autocratic predecessor, Hosni Mubarak.
“We walk around, listen to the speakers on the stage, meet people and sit in the shade and read the Koran,” she said. “We had to show Morsi that we could get rid of him if we didn’t like him just like we got rid of the one before him,” said one demonstrator, Ahmed Ghazi, 35. “What the Egyptian people did is pure democracy.”
She said that she had no intention of sleeping at the sit-in, but that she would keep returning. A few thousand pro-Morsi protesters later collected downtown in Ramses Square, where they blocked an exit ramp and then marched off down a major street.
“We’ll keep coming back until the return of the legitimate president because what happened is a military coup,” she said. Standing in front of his modest bookstore, Ibrahim Thabit, 52, watched the marchers pass and said he understood their point but worried about too much disruption. He had voted for Mr. Morsi but said he was disappointed when the economy continued to sink.

Ben Hubbard reported from Cairo, and Rick Gladstone from New York.

He said he hoped the army would find a way to bridge the country’s political divide.
“We want to eat and drink and live in peace,” he said. “That is what is important for people.”

Rick Gladstone contributed reporting from New York.