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Morsi’s Friends and Foes Stage Mass Rallies Across Egypt Egypt Military Flexes Muscle Against Morsi Amid Rallies
(about 4 hours later)
CAIRO — As vast dueling demonstrations took place across Egypt on Friday, the state news media reported that former President Mohamed Morsi – who has been detained incommunicado for three weeks — was being investigated on accusations of conspiring with the Palestinian militant group Hamas in a prison break in 2011. CAIRO — The Egyptian military stepped up its campaign against the Muslim Brotherhood on Friday, as officials announced the possibility of serious criminal charges carrying the death penalty against the ousted president, Mohamed Morsi, and hopes faded for any sort of political accommodation with the Islamist group.
The accusations appeared to signal a shift away from any sort of accommodation with the Muslim Brotherhood, despite intense mediation efforts by Western and Arab diplomats in the three weeks since the military ousted Mr. Morsi and declared a new government. The announcement came amid a vast state-orchestrated display of military power, with army helicopters hovering low over a huge throng of flag-waving, pro-military demonstrators in Tahrir Square and soldiers deploying in armored personnel carriers across the capital.
Instead, the military has moved toward formal criminal charges and a broader effort to crush the Brotherhood politically, analysts say, in moves that could portend further violence. Well over 100 people have been killed in street clashes over the past month. On July 8, police officers and soldiers opened fire on a group of Morsi supporters, killing 62. The crowds had turned out in Cairo and other Egyptian cities in response to a call by the defense minister, Gen. Abdul-Fattah el-Sisi, for mass demonstrations he said would give him a “mandate” to fight terrorism, a phrase widely understood to mean crackdowns on the Brotherhood.
Egypt’s defense minister, Gen. Abdul-Fattah el-Sisi, had called for mass demonstrations to take place Friday, saying that the public support would give him a “mandate” to fight terrorism – a phrase used here to refer to crackdowns on the Brotherhood. It was another blow to the Arab world’s most prominent Islamist group, which until recently was the major political force in government, having repeatedly won elections after the country’s uprising two years ago.
The Brotherhood has remained defiant, demanding Mr. Morsi’s reinstatement as a precondition for any negotiations and mounting daily demonstrations. The group’s leaders quickly labeled General Sisi’s plea for street demonstrations as a call to “civil war.” Its leaders insist that they are not seeking confrontation or violence. The Brotherhood and a number of Western and Arab diplomats had called for the military, which has held Mr. Morsi incommunicado since his ouster three weeks ago, to release him as a good-will gesture, in hopes of brokering a compromise that would end the standoff between Islamists and the military. That now seems almost impossible, analysts say, with indications that the military is carrying out investigations geared toward a broader legal assault on the Brotherhood.
“This is a preparation for eliminating the Brotherhood,” said Emad Shahin, a political science professor at American University in Cairo. “And of course it reduces the chance of Morsi coming back in any way.” “This is a preparation for eliminating the Brotherhood,” said Emad Shahin, a political science professor at the American University in Cairo. The Brotherhood responded defiantly on Friday, with pro-Morsi marches taking place along dozens of planned routes in Cairo and other cities. The group has continued to demand Mr. Morsi’s reinstatement as a precondition for any negotiations and labeled General Sisi’s plea for street demonstrations as a call to “civil war.” Its leaders insist that they are not seeking violence. Their marches, which regularly snarl busy Cairo streets, have become increasingly confrontational.
On Friday, tens of thousands of Islamists marched on dozens of planned routes in Cairo and other cities. “Our blood and souls we will sacrifice for Islam,” some protesters chanted, while other chanted Mr. Morsi’s name and held posters bearing his face. “Our blood and souls we will sacrifice for Islam,” some pro-Morsi protesters chanted, while others chanted his name and held posters bearing his face.
At the same time in Tahrir Square in Cairo, a vast throng gathered under a baking sun and stayed into the night to cheer General Sisi. Early in the day, military helicopters hovered low over the crowd, earning delighted cheers. Protesters hugged the soldiers guarding entrances to the square, and posed for pictures with them. The authorities had delayed the broadcast of TV serials broadcast during day during the holy month of Ramadan to encourage people to join the anti-Brotherhood demonstrations. In Tahrir Square, by contrast, posters bearing General Sisi’s face bobbed above the crowd, amid a mood of aggressive nationalism that has gripped much of Egypt since the military removed Mr. Morsi. Crowds began gathering early in the day, with protesters hugging the soldiers guarding the entrances to the square and posing for pictures with them. Television networks delayed daytime serials broadcast during the holy month of Ramadan, to encourage people to join the anti-Brotherhood demonstrations.
There had been widespread fears that the two protesting groups would collide violently, but as of late evening, the only serious clashes appeared to be in the port city of Alexandria, where the Egyptian media reported that one protester had been killed. The two protest camps clashed on Friday in the port city of Alexandria, where seven people were reported dead and scores were injured. At least one person was killed in parallel street battles in Cairo, according to the Egyptian news media.
Well over 100 people have been killed in clashes over the last month between supporters and opponents of the Brotherhood, including one case on July 8 in which soldiers and police officers fired on Morsi supporters and killed 62. Well over 100 people have been killed in clashes between supporters and opponents of the Brotherhood in the last month, including a polarizing episode on July 8 in which soldiers and police officers fired on Brotherhood members and killed 62.
Mr. Morsi, whose face regularly appears on enormous banners in Islamist marches across the country, is being investigated on charges that appeared to relate to his 2011 escape from Wadi Natroun prison. He is accused of conspiring with Hamas in “hostile acts” including the kidnapping and killing of police officers and soldiers, according to a report on the Web site of Egypt’s flagship state newspaper, Al Ahram. Mr. Morsi, whose face regularly appears on large banners in Islamist marches across the country, is being investigated on charges that he conspired with the militant Palestinian group Hamas in a prison escape. The charges appear to relate to his own 2011 escape from Wadi Natroun prison. He is accused of conspiring with Hamas in “hostile acts,” including the kidnapping and killing of police officers and soldiers, according to a report on the Web site of Egypt’s flagship state newspaper, Al Ahram. He was also ordered detained for an additional 15 days, the report said.
The accusations – which have been played up by his political opponents for some time – gained little traction until after Mr. Morsi was deposed, and have been dismissed by human rights groups as political. Mr. Morsi was arrested in the final days of Hosni Mubarak’s rule, and after his release, he said in a television interview that he was among 30 members of his movement who were broken out of prison by men they did not know. The Wadi Natroun accusations, which have been emphasized by his political opponents for some time, gained little traction until after Mr. Morsi was deposed, and they have been dismissed by many human rights advocates as political. Mr. Morsi was arrested in the final days of Mr. Mubarak’s government, and after his release, Mr. Morsi said in a television interview that he was among 30 members of his movement who were broken out of prison by men they did not know.
The announcement of charges may also be aimed at relieving international pressure on the Egyptian authorities to release Mr. Morsi. On Wednesday, the United Nations secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, joined the United States, the European Union, and other bodies in expressing concern about Mr. Morsi’s unexplained detention. The announcement of the formal detention and possible charges may also be aimed at providing legal cover in the face of international pressure on the Egyptian authorities to release Mr. Morsi. On Wednesday, Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations secretary general, joined the United States, the European Union, and other bodies in expressing concern about Mr. Morsi’s unexplained detention.
In a statement, Salah al-Bardaweel, a spokesman for Hamas, denounced the charges and challenged Egyptian prosecutors to present evidence that the group had any involvement with the prison breaks. In a statement, Salah al-Bardaweel, a spokesman for Hamas, denounced the accusations and challenged Egyptian prosecutors to present evidence that the group had been involved in the prison breaks. “This is an implication of Hamas into a dishonorable political battle,” he said.
Gehad el-Haddad, a spokesman for the Muslim Brotherhood, said that the investigation amounted to a repudiation of the revolt that toppled Mr. Mubarak and “might increase the number of angry people on the ground.” Gehad el-Haddad, a spokesman for the Muslim Brotherhood, said on Friday that the threatened charges amounted to a repudiation by the military of the revolt that toppled Mr. Mubarak and “might increase the number of angry people on the ground.”
“It will only help strengthen the realization that the Mubarak state is back,” he said.“It will only help strengthen the realization that the Mubarak state is back,” he said.
In Tahrir Square, a stronghold for Mr. Morsi’s opponents for weeks now, many in the crowd seemed heartened by news of the detention and legal accusations. “Morsi is nothing but a criminal, and the Egyptian people will be victorious,” said Ibrahim Abdelrahman, a 60-year-old retiree, as he waved an Egyptian flag. “The people, the Army, the police – we are all one hand.” At the protests, where thousands of Brotherhood supporters and their Islamist allies have been camped out for weeks, the mood remained buoyant on Friday evening as the marches came to an end. Onstage at a sit-in near Cairo University, bearded clerics called for an Islamic state while the crowd chanted, “The people demand the return of the president.”

Mayy El Sheikh contributed reporting from Cairo, and Fares Akram from Gaza.

“I think the criminal charges were filed to push the Brotherhood to violence, so the military could then use that as an excuse to crack down,” said Soha Emera, a 43-year-old woman in a pale head scarf, standing near the stage. “But they have stayed peaceful. Look what happened today: it was other people attacking the Brotherhood.”
  In Tahrir Square, a stronghold for Mr. Morsi’s opponents for weeks, many in the crowd seemed heartened by news of the formal detention and legal accusations.
“Morsi is nothing but a criminal, and the Egyptian people will be victorious,” said Ibrahim Abdelrahman, a 60-year-old retiree, as he waved an Egyptian flag. “The people, the army, the police: we are all one hand.”

Mayy El Sheikh contributed reporting.

This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:
Correction: July 26, 2013Correction: July 26, 2013

Earlier versions of this article, as well as headlines and summaries, overstated Friday’s legal developments against Mohamed Morsi. He was ordered detained for an investigation into espionage charges; he was not in fact charged.

Earlier versions of this article, as well as headlines and summaries, overstated Friday’s legal developments against Mohamed Morsi. He was ordered detained for an investigation into espionage charges; he was not in fact charged.