CAIRO – Called out by the army, the largest crowds in 2 1/2 years of upheaval filled Egypt’s streets Friday, while ousted President Mohammed Morsi was formally placed under investigation on a host of allegations including murder and conspiracy with the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
Morsi’s supporters also showed no signs of backing down, although they turned out in vastly smaller numbers.
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• The demonstrations in Cairo were mostly peaceful into the evening. But by late Friday, police fired tear gas to disperse hundreds of Morsi supporters near a sit-in they held for weeks, setting off clashes that lasted into early Saturday — in a possible sign of a new intolerance for marches that block city streets. A field hospital doctor said seven protesters were killed and hundreds injured.
• In the city of Alexandria, seven people were killed and more than 100 were injured in clashes between supporters and opponents of Morsi, officials said.
The announcement by prosecutors of the investigation against Morsi, which is likely to pave the way for a formal indictment and eventually a trial, was the first word on his legal status since he was deposed by the military July 3. Since then, the Islamist leader has been held incommunicado in a secret location.
Both sides tried to show how much public support they enjoy. But the millions who turned out for the pro-army demonstrations overwhelmed the streets in multiple cities in Egypt, including some that have rarely seen any rallies since the 2011 uprising.
Throngs of people turned out in Cairo’s Tahrir Square and in other cities, answering a call by army chief Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, who urged them to give him a mandate to stop “potential terrorism” by supporters of Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood.
Portraits of the smiling el-Sissi in sunglasses dominated the crowd in Tahrir and one near the presidential palace across town. Posters with his picture were emblazoned with the words “the love of the people,” and demonstrators wore small photos of him around their necks.
Security was heavy after el-Sissi vowed to protect the rallies from attacks. Tanks guarded one entrance to Tahrir and police were stationed elsewhere.
“The army is here to protect the people. They don’t lie,” said Ezzat Fahmi, a 38-year-old in the crowd. He said el-Sissi called the rallies “so the entire world can see that the Egyptian people don’t want the Brotherhood anymore.”
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