Photograph by Thierry Ehrmann
Thousands of people have taken to the streets in Egypt calling for the resignation of President Mohammed Morsi for following an Islamist agenda and failing to address economic and security problems in the country.
The protesters have been shouting “Irhal! Irhal!” (“Leave! Leave!), as they complain that Morsi has been promoting the ideas of the Muslim Brotherhood rather than tackling the issues felt by ordinary Egyptians during his first year in office.
In Cairo, protesters spent the night in Tahrir Square, the location of the widespread protests which brought down long-serving former leader Hosni Mubarak, with larger crowds expected to gather later today. More than 22 million people in Egypt have signed a petition calling for a snap election, and they have urged those signatories to come out in force at Tahrir Square today.
In Alexandria, hundreds of protests are gathering in al-Qaid Ibrahim, one of the main squares in the city, along with other areas, with the protesters expected to come together in the central central Sidi Gaber district this evening.
Other anti-Morsi protests have been happening across the country, in Port Said, Suez, Monofia, and Sharqiya, Morsi’s place of birth.
President Morsi does still hold much support within Egypt, however, with pro-Morsi Islamist rallies being staged across the country as well, with violent clashes reported between the opposing groups. At least three people have been killed in these clashes over the last few days.