An Egyptian child stands next to poster of the Egypt’s ousted President Mohammed Morsi outside Rabaah al-Adawiya mosque, where supporters have installed a camp and hold daily rallies at Nasr City, in Cairo, Egypt, Wednesday, July 31, 2013. Egypt’s military-backed government has ordered the police to break up the sit-in protests by supporters of ousted President Mohammed Morsi, saying they pose an “unacceptable threat” to national security. Information Minister Dorreya Sharaf el-Din said in a televised statement Wednesday that the police are to end the demonstrations “within the law and the constitution.” (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
CAIRO (AP) — Thousands of Islamists loyal to Egypt’s ousted president are defying a government warning to disband their marathon sit-in protest in Cairo.
The defiance by Mohammed Morsi’s followers has raised the specter of a new round of violence and concerns that security forces would move in to break up the protest camps in the eastern suburb of Nasser City and in Giza.
But by early afternoon Thursday there were no significant movements by Egyptian forces against the protesters in either camp.
On Wednesday, Egypt’s military-backed Cabinet issued the order that the Muslim Brotherhood sit-in be cleared.
A Brotherhood leader, Essam el-Erian, said on his official Facebook page that “the people will be victorious.”
At least 130 Brotherhood supporters have died in clashes with security forces since Morsi’s July 3 ouster.
