- Title: EGYPT: Thousands throw their support behind President Mohamed Mursi's legitimacy
- Date: 30th June 2013
- Summary: CAIRO, EGYPT (JUNE 30, 2013) (REUTERS) SUPPORTERS IN FRONT OF STAGE CHANTING AND CLAPPING SUPPORTERS CHANTING IN ARABIC: 'Mursi Mursi' FLAGS WAVING IN AIR SUPPORTERS HOLDING FLAG READING IN ARABIC: 'There is no God but Allah, and Mohamed is his messenger' (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SUPPORTER OF EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT MOHAMED MURSI, MOSTAFA FATHY, SAYING: "If their (the opposition's) dreams come true, Mursi falls and they elect another president, what do you think the millions standing behind me would do? They'll protest in the streets and we'll just keep going in circles. The world that praised our revolution in 2011 will laugh at us." SUPPORTERS WAVING FLAGS / CHANTING SUPPORTERS CHANTING SUPPORTER HOLDING FLAG VARIOUS OF SUPPORTERS CHANTING (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SUPPORTER OF EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT MOHAMED MURSI, MOHAMED OMAR, SAYING: "My message is to President Mohamed Mursi, the legitimate leader and winner of the first free elections in Egyptian history. I would like to tell him to keep moving forward on this same path, the Egyptian people have given you legitimacy and we are all here to support this legitimacy." SUPPORTERS HOLDING BANNERS OF MURSI SUPPORTERS IN FRONT OF STAGE BANNER READING IN ARABIC: 'Egypt is for everyone'
- Embargoed: 15th July 2013 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Egypt
- Country: Egypt
- Topics: Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA2XNCTP16Y7W480JDTKGFLJ9A8
- Story Text: Thousands of Supporters of Egyptian president Mohamed Mursi continued to rally around Rab'a al Adawiya mosque on Sunday (June 30) throwing their weight behind Egypt's first freely elected leader.
At the mosque, thousands wore white and green Muslim Brotherhood hats and waved flags in support.
Not far is the presidential palace where mass demonstrations calling for Mursi's removal are scheduled for later on Sunday.
For two days Mursi supporters at the mosque have been calling for the opposition to withdraw their calls for protests because Mursi was elected legitimately by the will of the people.
Many of them argue that calling for his removal today would undermine the democratic process as a whole.
"If their (the opposition's) dreams come true, Mursi falls and they elect another president, what do you think the millions standing behind me would do? They'll protest in the streets and we'll just keep going in circles. The world that praised our revolution in 2011 will laugh at us," Mursi supporter Mostafa Fathy said.
Mursi renewed an offer last week to include opponents in a new panel to review a disputed new constitution and has complained of a media campaign of vilification. The authorities have taken legal action against journalists and media owners.
Liberal leaders said nearly half the voting population - 22 million people - had signed a petition calling for new elections, although there is no one obvious challenger to Mursi.
The opposition, fractious and defeated in a series of ballots last year, hope that by putting millions on the streets they can force Mursi to relent and hand over to a technocratic administration that can organise new elections.
"My message is to President Mohamed Mursi, the legitimate leader and winner of the first free elections in Egyptian history. I would like to tell him to keep moving forward on this same path, the Egyptian people have given you legitimacy and are all here to support this legitimacy," said Mohamed Omar.
Opponents cite that among evidence that the Brotherhood, suppressed for decades under Mubarak, aims to use its organised, vote-winning power to entrench itself and its Islamic agenda deep in the state, in much the same way as the ousted leader.
Observers have noted similarities with protests in Turkey this month, where an Islamist prime minister with a strong electoral mandate has been confronted in the streets by angry secularists. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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