CAIRO
The National Alliance for the Defense of Legitimacy, a coalition of largely Islamist groups that support ousted President Mohamed Morsi, has vowed to continue its protests and a campaign of civil disobedience.
In a Saturday statement, the pro-Morsi bloc said Friday's rallies had proven that "the Egyptian people will not abandon the gains of the January 25 [2011] Revolution, no matter the sacrifices."
"The Egyptian people have confused the leaders of the July 3 coup and defied their threats and assaults by taking to the streets in the millions nationwide to reclaim their right to freedom, dignity and justice," the alliance declared.
The pro-Morsi coalition went on to urge the "free Egyptian people to mobilize on a daily basis to reclaim the revolution and activate a civil disobedience campaign to paralyze the coup leaders and push them to defeat."
Morsi supporters staged rallies in several provinces on Friday to denounce what they call the "military coup" against Egypt's elected president and "reclaim the January revolution," which toppled long-time President Hosni Mubarak.
The protests came in response to calls by the pro-Morsi alliance, which is led by the Muslim Brotherhood, the group from which Morsi hails.
The Health Ministry said at least three people had been killed and dozens injured in nationwide violence that marred Friday's demonstrations.
The Ahrar protest movement, meanwhile, said that six of its members had been killed in clashes with police in Cairo on Friday evening.
Morsi, Egypt's first democratically elected president, was ousted by the powerful army on July 3 following mass protests against his presidency.
englishnews@aa.com.tr
