Islamist supporters of deposed Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi rallied in their thousands for his reinstatement on Friday as the interim Premier suggested a crackdown on their protest camps was imminent. Protesters flooded streets in central Cairo and in the second city Alexandria, carrying pictures of the deposed leader and chanting against the military coup that ousted Morsi on July 3.
In the oasis town of Fayyum, south of Cairo, Morsi loyalists clashed with police who fired tear gas to disperse them, security officials said. The Government has said it held off from breaking up the Islamists’ protest camps in Cairo out of respect for the holy month of Ramadan, which ended on Wednesday night, and to give foreign mediators a chance to end the deadlock peacefully.