Morsi supporters close main routes of capital, bring Cairo to standstill

Thousands of supporters of ousted president Mohammad Morsi have blocked a number of Cairo's busiest thoroughfares, bringing traffic in the capital to a halt. On Monday evening, Morsi supporters assembled at the centrally-located Ramses Square in downtown Cairo to demand the ousted president's return to office. Protestors also blocked nearby Ramses Street, one of the capital's primary arteries, and prevented passing vehicles from moving, according to an Anadolu Agency correspondent. Morsi supporters also converged on Cairo's 6 October Bridge, usually the site of heavy traffic, chanting slogans against Defense Minister Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Thousands of protestors disrupted traffic on the bridge, bringing the capital to a standstill. Protestors are also expected to march in Giza, where thousands of pro-Morsi demonstrators remain camped out, following Taraweeh (nighttime) prayers. They are expected to block the capital's Ring Road, linking eastern and northern Cairo. The coastal city of Alexandria, too, is expected to witness several pro-Morsi activities on Monday. Anas al-Qadi, Muslim Brotherhood spokesman in Alexandria, said the group was planning marches and rallies across the city to denounce the "military coup" that resulted in Morsi's overthrow. "All of our activities will be peaceful. We will not be dragged into any violence," he said in a statement. He added: "We will not leave the squares and streets until the legitimate president is reinstated." The protests are being organized by the Muslim Brotherhood as part of the group's continued show of support for the Islamist president who was ousted by the military on July 3 following mass nationwide protests against his regime. Thousands of Morsi supporters have also been camped out for more than two weeks in Rab'a Al-Adaweya Square in Cairo's Nasr City district and in Nahda Square in the Giza Governorate. The army announced a post-Morsi roadmap on July 3, suspending the constitution and naming the head of Egypt's constitutional court as interim president. The move followed days of mass protests nationwide demanding the removal of Egypt's first democratically elected president. Since then, thousands of Morsi loyalists have taken to the streets across the country to defend the deposed president's democratic legitimacy and demand his return to office.