Egypt crisis: Huge rival rallies as Morsi is accused - BBC News

26 July 2013 Last updated at 13:00 ET The BBC's Jim Muir says the allegations make Mr Morsi's detention formal Continue reading the main story Not yet a coup Q&A: Crisis explained Struggle to save revolution Ebbing support for Brotherhood Tens of thousands of supporters and opponents of Egypt's ousted Islamist president are attending rival rallies, with two people killed in clashes. In what is seen as a trial of strength, supporters of Mohammed Morsi filled the streets around a mosque in Cairo to condemn his removal by the army. Army supporters converged on Tahrir Square, just a few miles away. Mr Morsi is in detention, accused of conspiring with the Palestinian militant group Hamas. Earlier this week, the army chief, Gen Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, urged people to take to the streets to give the military a mandate for its intervention in removing Mr Morsi and establishing an interim government. Since Mr Morsi, the country's first democratically elected president, was ousted on 3 July, dozens of people have died in clashes between his supporters and opponents. Militants have also staged deadly attacks in the Sinai peninsula. Continue reading the main story Supporters of the army are due to hold marches from starting-points around the capital The army supporters have been gathering in Tahrir Square Armoured vehicles deployed near the square as the army warned it would not tolerate violence Supporters of Mohammed Morsi have turned out in force One Morsi supporter held a poster of the deposed president in his mouth The Morsi supporters held Friday Muslim prayers in the street These demonstrators confronted Morsi supporters in the city of Alexandria Continue reading the main story previous slide next slide 'Sisi out!' According to state media, two people died and at least 19 were injured when clashes broke out between rival demonstrators in the country's second city, Alexandria. Many of the injured reportedly suffered gunshot wounds. It appears that Morsi and Sisi supporters confronted each other after Muslim Friday prayers. In Cairo, 11 people were injured in clashes between rival groups in the capital's Shubra district, security sources say. The violence appears to have involved stone-throwing. A huge crowd of Morsi supporters has filled streets around Cairo's Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque, where they have been holding a sit-in protest. "Sisi out! Morsi is president! Down with the army!" they chanted. Correspondents say the mood among the Morsi supporters around the mosque has been calm and stewards have been searching demonstrators to ensure no weapons are brought to the rally. Tens of thousands of army supporters have gathered on Tahrir Square, the traditional focus for mass rallies in Cairo. "The people, the source of all power, mandate the army and police to purge terrorism," read a giant banner stretched across one entrance to the square. Many people carried posters of Gen Sisi. Accusations 'ridiculous' Ousted Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi is being held over allegations of links with Palestinian militants Hamas and plotting attacks on jails in the 2011 uprising that overthrew Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, it was announced earlier on Friday. He is to be questioned for an initial 15-day period, a judicial order said. The order issued on Friday is the first official statement on Mr Morsi's judicial status since he was overthrown and placed in custody at an undisclosed location. The judicial order says the former president is suspected of conspiring with Hamas, which governs the Gaza Strip and has strong links with Mr Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood, during the uprising against Mr Mubarak. He is accused of colluding with the Palestinian group to storm police stations and jails, "setting fire to one prison and enabling inmates to flee, including himself, as well as premeditated killing of officers, soldiers and prisoners". Mr Morsi and several Muslim Brotherhood leaders were freed during a breakout at a Cairo prison in January 2011. The BBC's Jim Muir in the Egyptian capital says the order provides legal cover for the continued detention at a time when the UN and Western powers are calling for the Mr Morsi to be released or properly charged. A spokesman for the Muslim Brotherhood, Gehad el-Haddad, described the accusations as "ridiculous". He told Reuters news agency that the order marked the return of the "old regime". Hamas itself said there was not a shred of evidence of its involvement in the prison break. Mr Morsi narrowly won the presidential election in June 2012 but his opponents accused him of trying to impose an Islamist agenda on the country. Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 61124 (UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (International). If you have a large file you can upload here. Read the terms and conditions via Top Stories - Google News http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNEz-cH9SPyIks-GyJmK1idEz3yTaw&url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-23472072

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