CAIRO (AA) – A coalition of groups demanding the reinstatement of ousted president Mohamed Morsi plans to hold protests on Tuesday under the banner "One Demand."
On Tuesday, Egyptians will mark the second anniversary of deadly clashes between protesters and police in Cairo's Mohamed Mahmoud Street in which dozens were killed.
The National Alliance for the Defense of Legitimacy, Morsi's main support bloc, said it would stage demonstrations while steering clear of downtown Cairo to avoid clashes with security forces.
"Of course we'll take to the streets in Cairo and in other provinces for peaceful protests on that day, with the exception of Mohamed Mahmoud Street and Tahrir Square," leading alliance member Imam Youssef told Anadolu Agency.
Youssef said the "One Demand" theme was meant to honor Salafist leader Hazem Salah Abu Ismail, who had been the first to call for demonstrations against military rule on November 18, 2011.
Abu Ismail, a preacher-turned-politician, was arrested two days after the army deposed Morsi, Egypt's first democratically elected leader, following mass protests against his presidency that began on June 30.
A lawyer by profession, Abu Ismail is currently in jail on forgery charges, which supporters insist are politically motivated.
"The 2011 [Mohamed Mahmoud] protests were also held under the 'One Demand' banner," Youssef noted.
Almost 50 people were killed in several days of fighting on Mohamed Mahmoud Street, which leads from Cairo's iconic Tahrir Square to Interior Ministry headquarters.
The violence was initially triggered by the violent November 19 dispersal of a sit-in staged by wounded protesters in the nearby square.
Youth groups blame Egypt's military, which ran the country for a year and a half following the departure of former president Hosni Mubarak, of being responsible for the subsequent violence. They demand the prosecution of members of Egypt's Supreme Military Council, including ex-army chief Hussein Tantawi.
By Hussein Qabani
englishnews@aa.com.tr
