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Egypt Decrees That Pro-Morsi Sit-Ins Be Dispersed Egypt Set to End Sit-Ins Involving Tens of Thousands of People
(about 4 hours later)
CAIRO — Egypt’s military-backed government instructed its security forces on Wednesday to end two large sit-ins in the capital by supporters of the deposed Islamist president, a decree that risked a new round of violent convulsions in the country’s political crisis. CAIRO — Egypt’s military-backed government instructed its security forces on Wednesday to end two sit-ins by tens of thousands of supporters of the deposed Islamist president, a decree that many feared could lead to a new round of violent confrontations.
In a televised statement, the interim cabinet said that the sit-ins in support of the deposed president, Mohamed Morsi, were disruptive and represented “a threat to the Egyptian national security and an unacceptable terrorizing of citizens.” In a televised statement, the cabinet said the sit-ins were disruptive and represented “a threat to the Egyptian national security and an unacceptable terrorizing of citizens.”
Tens of thousands of Muslim Brotherhood members and sympathizers have been occupying two large squares in Cairo — Rabaa al Adaweya and Nahdet Masr — to protest the July 3 ouster of Mr. Morsi, the country’s first freely elected president. The protesters have vowed to remain until he is released from detention and reinstated. That outcome has looked increasingly unlikely, as the interim authorities have expanded a crackdown on the Brotherhood and its affiliates and have moved to oust Islamists appointed by Mr. Morsi from government posts. For weeks, supporters of the former president, Mohamed Morsi, have been occupying two squares in Cairo — Rabaa al-Adaweya in Nasr City and Nahdet Misr in Giza — to protest his ouster on July 3. They have vowed to remain until Mr. Morsi is released from detention and reinstated.
More than 140 pro-Morsi demonstrators in Cairo were killed by security forces in violent confrontations on July 8 and this past Saturday, further polarizing a country in the throes of its worst crisis since the revolution that toppled Mr. Morsi’s autocratic predecessor, Hosni Mubarak, in February 2011. The sit-ins have become a nuisance for the government, and flash points for the bloodiest confrontations since Mr. Morsi’s ouster, including the killings of more than 140 of his Islamist supporters by Egyptian security services. And as they grow more permanent, with stores and barbers and even their own television station, the encampments have become potent symbols of Egypt’s impasse.
Rights groups denounced the interim cabinet’s decree as a new provocation to violence. “Given the Egyptian security forces’ record of policing demonstrations with the routine use of excessive and unwarranted lethal force, this latest announcement gives a seal of approval to further abuse,” Amnesty International said in a statement on its Web site, calling the decree a “recipe for further bloodshed.” A spokesman for the Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamist movement that brought Mr. Morsi to power, said some in the square hoped the government order was an empty threat, given that clearing the camp would be perilous, violent work.
The interim cabinet’s televised statement, read by the country’s minister of media, Doreyya Sharaf el-Din, appeared intended to establish a legal basis for dispersing the sit-ins by force. The minister said the decree was necessary because of “the huge mandate given to the state by the people in dealing with the terrorism and the violence that threaten the dissolution of the state and the collapse of the homeland, and in order to protect the national security and higher interest of the country and the social peace and the safety of citizens.” There was no sign late on Wednesday of any incursion by the security services, though there were indications that one might not be far off. The Brotherhood spokesman, Gehad el-Haddad, said that residents near the Nasr City sit-in had been told to remove their cars, and that police vehicles had started to gather on the outskirts of the sit-in.
Rights groups denounced the interim cabinet’s decree as a new provocation to violence. “Given the Egyptian security forces’ record of policing demonstrations with the routine use of excessive and unwarranted lethal force, this latest announcement gives a seal of approval to further abuse,” Amnesty International said in a statement on its Web site, calling the decree a “recipe for further bloodshed.”
The authorities have painted the squares as hotbeds of “terrorism,” a term they use loosely to describe their opponents. Officials have also said that the Islamists are storing weapons, and have accused them of other abuses, including the fatal torture of at least 11 people in the two squares.
The interim cabinet’s televised statement, read by the country’s minister of media, Dorreya Sharaf el-Din, appeared intended to establish a legal basis for dispersing the sit-ins by force. The minister said the decree was necessary because of “the huge mandate given to the state by the people in dealing with the terrorism and the violence that threaten the dissolution of the state and the collapse of the homeland, and in order to protect the national security and higher interest of the country, and the social peace and the safety of citizens.”
She said the Interior Ministry had been instructed “to take all the necessary measures in that regard within the framework of the provisions of the Constitution and the law.”She said the Interior Ministry had been instructed “to take all the necessary measures in that regard within the framework of the provisions of the Constitution and the law.”
It was unclear from her statement when, or how, the Interior Ministry would carry out the order to disperse the sit-ins, where organizers have erected barricades of sandbags, bricks and tires. The Associated Press quoted the interim interior minister, Mohamed Ibrahim, as saying in a telephone interview that the order would be carried out in gradual steps and that he hoped the protesters “resort to reason.” It was unclear from her statement when, or how, the Interior Ministry would carry out the order. Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim said officials were still consulting over how to proceed.
The Obama administration, which has been engaged in a delicate balancing act over how to deal with the Egypt crisis, expressed concern. Asked about the new decree at a daily State Department briefing in Washington, the deputy spokeswoman, Marie Harf, said: “We have continued to urge the interim government officials and security forces to respect the right of peaceful assembly. That obviously includes sit-ins.”The Obama administration, which has been engaged in a delicate balancing act over how to deal with the Egypt crisis, expressed concern. Asked about the new decree at a daily State Department briefing in Washington, the deputy spokeswoman, Marie Harf, said: “We have continued to urge the interim government officials and security forces to respect the right of peaceful assembly. That obviously includes sit-ins.”
On Tuesday, two Republican senators, Lindsey Graham and John McCain, frequent critics of President Obama, said he had asked them to visit Egypt next week to help persuade the interim leaders to move forward with new elections and an inclusive government. The senators said they would convey a bipartisan message from the United States, which has regarded Egypt as a crucial Arab ally in the Middle East for decades and provides $1.5 billion in annual aid. On Tuesday, two Republican senators, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and John McCain of Arizona, frequent critics of President Obama, said he had asked them to visit Egypt next week to help persuade the interim leaders to move forward with new elections and an inclusive government. The senators said they would convey a bipartisan message from the United States, which has regarded Egypt as a crucial ally in the region for decades and provides $1.5 billion in annual aid.
The decree aimed at ending the sit-ins came shortly after the interim authorities announced they had referred the top spiritual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, Mohamed Badie, and two other senior Islamist figures to a criminal court on charges of incitement to murder. The step was seen as a further expansion of the crackdown on the Brotherhood. The decree aimed at ending the sit-ins came shortly after the interim authorities announced they had referred Brotherhood leaders to a criminal court on charges of incitement to violence. They included the movement’s spiritual leader, Mohamed Badie, and Khairat el-Shater, its onetime candidate for president. That was seen as a further expansion of the crackdown on the Brotherhood that has included arrests, closing of television stations and an effort to purge state institutions of the movement’s members.
Mr. Morsi has been detained by the military since he was overthrown and his whereabouts kept secret. Only a trickle of visitors has been allowed to see him, and he has been not allowed to communicate with his family or his supporters. The military has detained Mr. Morsi and kept his whereabouts secret. He has not been allowed to communicate with his family or a lawyer. This week the European Union’s top foreign policy official, Catherine Ashton, was able to visit him, and said he was in good health. On Wednesday, a delegation from the African Union said it had also visited Mr. Morsi, according to Ahram Online, an English-language news site.
The European Union’s top foreign policy official, Catherine Ashton, was able to visit with Mr. Morsi for a few hours on Monday night during a trip here aimed at trying to mediate a solution to the crisis. The interim authorities allowed the visit on the condition that she not reveal anything about Mr. Morsi’s whereabouts. During the visit Tuesday night, Mr. Morsi told the delegation that he was powerless to end the crisis, the former president of Botswana, Festus G. Mogae, told the news site.
Ms. Ashton said Mr. Morsi was in good health but she declined to disclose details of their conversation. “Morsi told us that he cannot do anything in the current situation, as he does not have contact with the media or his followers,” Mr. Mogae said.

Mayy El Sheikh reported from Cairo, and Rick Gladstone from New York. Kareem Fahim contributed reporting from Cairo.

Kareem Fahim reported from Cairo, and Rick Gladstone from New York. Mayy El Sheikh contributed reporting from Cairo.