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.”
The comments signal a move to break up the two main pro-Morsi protests — one outside a mosque in eastern Cairo and another outside the main Cairo University camps — was imminent.
Morsi was overthrown by the military on July 3 after mass rallies calling for his ouster.
Last week, millions of Egyptians took to the streets to give military chief General Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi a mandate to deal with violence and “potential terrorism.”
In other developments, Egyptian prosecutors have referred three top leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood, including the group’s fugitive spiritual leader, to trial for allegedly inciting the killing of protesters last month.
The three referred to trial are Mohammed Badie, the group’s leader who is on the run, his powerful deputy Khairat el-Shater and senior leader Rashad Bayoumi.
They are accused of inciting the killing of at least eight protesters outside the Cairo headquarters of the group.
