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Millions Called to March in Egypt in Pro-Morsi Protests

by Nuzha Nuseibeh

More violence is expected in Egypt Friday, as pro-Morsi supports call for a million people to march through Cairo and other cities in order to demand the ex-President's reinstatement.

The Muslim Brotherhood and the Egypt National Alliance to Support Legitimacy have called for nationwide rallies on Friday to demonstrate against the military and show their support for ex-President Mohamed Morsi.

"We are refusing that anyone will touch or push out our elected president," said a pro-Morsi protestor. "We already had an election. We already elected our president. Democracy means to elect someone and to give him his four years in government, then have another election."

Morsi's encouragement isn't just coming from the public, it's coming from his family members as well.

In an interview with CNN, the president's son said he told his father to "remain defiant and move forward and not retreat in the face of the armed forces."

At the same time, anti-Morsi protestors are also planning to hold major demonstrations in the capital's famous Tahrir Square in order to defend Egypt's interim government, which is in the process of forming a new cabinet.

Egypt's interim Prime Minister, Hazem El-Beblawi, has said that 70 percent of the choices for ministerial positions have already been made.

Apparently, the Tamarrod movement—which organized the nationwide protests on June 30 to demand Morsi's resignation—is calling for a gathering of Egyptians to break Ramaddan fast together at sundown, with the hope of closing the political divide.

The violence began when President Mohamed Morsi was issued a military ultimatum amid nationwide protests, after which he was forcibly removed from his office, and replaced by interim leader Adli Mansour, in what some have called a military coup. While the U.S. government has been hesitant about putting any labels on army's actions, they are now calling for a stop to the "arbitrary" arrests of Muslim Brotherhood members.