Prime Minister Hazem al-Beblawi held a news conference on Thursday afternoon in which he assured that Colonel General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s call for protests to support the military on Friday was by no means an incitement to violence.
Beblawi demanded that all parties taking to the streets tomorrow — those showing their support for the Armed Forces as well as those participating in the counter protests organized by the Muslim Brotherhood — commit to peaceful protest.
Sisi’s call to the people was merely a continuation of the aims of the June 30 revolution, promised military spokesperson Ahmed Mohamed Ali in a statement on Thursday. The defense minister was not threatening any particular political group in his statement, but was merely putting forward “a patriotic initiative to stop violence and terrorism,” Ali alleged.
Presidential spokesperson Ahmed al-Moslemany also spoke on Thursday, calling on protesters to remain peaceful and leave security issues to the government, the state-run Middle East News Agency reported.
On Wednesday evening Sisi, defense minister and commander of the Armed Forces, called on the people to take to the streets to support him in his fight against “terrorism,” referring to marches and roadblocks staged by Muslim Brotherhood supporters over the past three weeks that frequently ended in fatal violence. Brotherhood members have vowed to continue their actions until former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi — ousted by the military on July 3 — returns to office.
Expectations of violence loomed when on Thursday Brotherhood leaders responded to Sisi’s statement by calling for counter protests on Friday. Security alerts have heightened in Cairo.
Minister of Health Maha al-Rabbat met with the government’s Crisis Management Committee on Thursday to discuss how to cope with potential violence after tomorrow’s protests, and declared that all hospitals, emergency rooms and ambulance facilities are now in a state of alert, independent newspaper Al-Masry Al-Youm reported.
The minister confirmed the availability of blood, medication and supplies to treat potential injuries should clashes occur.
Mohamed Sultan, head of the Ambulance Authority, stated that the ministry would dispatch 1,979 ambulances at major protest sites across the governorates, including Tahrir Square, the Ettehadiya Presidential Palace, Rabea al-Adaweya Mosque, Nahda Square, Al-Qaed Ibrahim Mosque in Alexandria and other squares throughout the country, AMAY added.
In response, military and police forces are preparing to secure peaceful protesters during the planned demonstrations, and would work full force to protect the country’s squares and governorates, an army source told the privately owned daily Al-Shorouk on Thursday.
New Valley Security Director Mohamed Nasser said the governorate is currently implementing a plan to secure all key facilities ahead of Friday’s events, including the prison, banks and touristic sites and monuments.
Protester safety comes first, Nasser assured, adding that he hoped the demonstrations would be as peaceful and civil as on June 30.
In Upper Egypt, the Sohag Security Directorate declared a state of alert ahead of Friday’s protests. Sohag Director of Security Mohsen al-Guindy told Al-Shorouk that he expects clashes between Morsi’s supporters and their opponents.
The Port Said Security Directorate also declared a state of emergency on Thursday. Security sources said their forces have already been deployed all along the critical Suez Canal coast. The head of the Third Field Army General Osama Askar visited the Suez Canal on Thursday to inspect the Armed Forces responsible for securing the canal stream, the southern gate of the canal and the lakes area in Suez, the state-run Al-Ahram website reported earlier Thursday.
