CAIRO
The National Alliance for the Defense of Legitimacy, a coalition of largely Islamist parties and figures, announced that their mass Friday demonstrations in support of ousted President Mohamed Morsi would continue on Saturday and Sunday.
"The continuation of our protests is a message to the coup leader that we are not backing down and that legitimacy would prevail," Safwat Hegazi, a leading figure of the alliance, told thousands of Morsi supporters camping out in Rabaa al-Adawiya Square in eastern Cairo.
The powerful army removed Morsi, Egypt's first democratically elected president, on July 3 following mass protests against him.
It suspended the constitution and installed Adly Mansour, the head of the constitutional court, as interim president.
Ever since, Morsi supporters have been staging daily mass demonstrations and sit-ins protesting what they describe as a military coup against the elected president and demanding his reinstatement.
The Alliance claimed earlier that "tens of millions" protested nationwide on Friday in supported of the deposed Islamist president.
"Today, the Egyptian people sent a clear message to the coup leader that they stand with their elected president."
At least six people were killed and hundreds injured in a day of violent clashes between supporters and opponents of Morsi.
"Open-ended sit-in"
"We will stage an open-ended sit-in to protest attacks by unknown people during our rally against the military coup," Muslim Brotherhood spokesperson Anas al-Qadi earlier told the Anadolu Agency.
He added that the pro-Morsi rally was attacked by those he described as "rioters allied to the Interior Ministry", vowing to continue their demonstrators and not to be discouraged by such aggressions.
The AA could not immediately get a comment from the Interior Ministry, which controls Egypt's police apparatus.
Egyptians converge on Ittihadiya palace to show support for army chief
Egyptians marched Friday from three different areas of capital Cairo to the Ittihadiya presidential palace in a show of support for army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
They arrived from the eastern Cairo districts of Matariyah, Hegaz Square and Nasr City shortly before the iftar (fast-breaking) time to join thousands of pro-army demonstrators at the site.
Streets leading to the presidential palace have been closed because of the huge numbers of supporters.
They chanted slogans against the Muslim Brotherhood and US President Barack Obama over what they describe as his support for ousted President Mohamed Morsi.
Egypt has been in the throes of a political crisis since the army ousted Morsi, Egypt's first democratically elected president, on July 3 after mass protests against his regime.
Since then, his supporters have been staging daily mass demonstrations and sit-ins to demand his reinstatement and to defend his democratic legitimacy.
Pro-Morsi demonstrators are holding mass protests today as part of an ongoing campaign against the military coup.
Egyptian Prime Minister Hazem al-Biblawi also joined protesters gathering outside the presidential palace to show support for the army.
Al-Biblawi was surrounded by protesters who tried to shake hands with him.
englishnews@aa.com.tr
