Egypt braced for renewed protests as Muslim Brotherhood stays on streets
Source: Guardian
Egypt is braced for another round of mass demonstrations on Friday, with the weeks-long impasse between the Muslim Brotherhood and the country's military-backed interim government – which swept the Brotherhood's Mohamed Morsi from power earlier this month – showing no signs of abating.
Both the Brotherhood and its secular-minded opponents have announced large afternoon protests, with the Brotherhood refusing to leave the streets unless Morsi is restored to the presidency – a demand that will never be agreed to.
For their part, the military and its proxies are equally stubborn – refusing to end a crackdown on the Brotherhood's leadership, with several senior brothers under arrest and their assets frozen. Morsi himself has been imprisoned incommunicado in an unknown location since his removal on 3 July.
There are fears that the impasse could lead to more state killings – such as last week's massacre of Morsi supporters in east Cairo – or a heightening of violence in extremist hotspots such as the Sinai desert.
Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/19/egypt-protests-muslim-brotherhood-crackdown