Islamists reverse Tahrir-bound protests

Cairo: An Islamist alliance led by the Muslim Brotherhood Friday called on followers not to march on to Tahrir Square, reversing an earlier decision to hold anti-military protest in the central Cairo plaza.

The National Alliance for Legitimacy Support said in a statement that its call for followers not to force their way into Tahrir was aimed at stemming further bloodshed.

At least 57 people were killed and more than 300 injured on Sunday in clashes between supporters of the ousted president Mohammad Mursi of the Brotherhood, opponents and security forces on the 40th anniversary of Egypt’s war against Israel.

At the time, the pro-Mursi protesters, in defiance of the military-backed government, sought to make their way to Tahrir, which was the epicentre of a popular revolt that toppled Mursi’s predecessor Hosni Mubarak in early 2011.

In July, the army deposed Mursi, Egypt’s first democratically elected president, following massive street protests demanding his resignation.

On Friday, army personnel carriers and police vehicles sealed off Tahrir, denying motorists access to the square. A main subway station in the square has been closed for more than a month due to security concerns.

Security forces were also positioned outside nearby key state institutions and Western embassies.

Following the congregational noon prayers, pro-Mursi protesters staged marches in other areas of Cairo, the latest in a string of anti-military demonstrations demanding the Islamist leader’s reinstatement.

A relentless security crackdown on Islamists, detaining hundreds of them, has apparently curtailed pro-Mursi protests and diminished their numbers in recent weeks.