Thousands Gather to Celebrate Egypt's 'Second Revolution'

Sharon Behn
July 07,2013

CAIRO — As Egypt's top leadership bickers about who will head the country's interim government, thousands have gathered in Cairo's Tahrir Square to celebrate what they are calling the "Second Revolution" - the military's ouster of President Mohamed Morsi last Wednesday. Amid the cheering is increasingly strident criticism of the United States and the Islamic Muslim Brotherhood that has rejected the idea of national reconciliation and insisted that Morsi must be reinstated.

It was the largest gathering of the week. Thousands of people, including families with their children, crowded into Tahrir Square one more time. This time, says dentist Dalia Ezzeldin, the crowds are celebrating the country's second revolution - the military's ouster of President Mohamed Morsi.

“I am here to encourage our army and our Egyptians and to support our revolution - it is not a coup. It's a revolution. I am here just to prove it's a revolution. It's not a coup. And to say to all the world over - we have a revolution.”

The military deployed troops in the streets on fears of more violence. Earlier in the day, Muslim Brotherhood supporters also took to the streets, demanding that Morsi be returned to the presidency.

The military has arrested the top leadership of the Brotherhood, something Nagy Abdel Rasoul welcomes.

“They belong in jail. I hope you tell the world that this is a revolution. It's not a military coup. It's a revolution of a nation that has been tired for a full year, that is paying the price now, it was the biggest mistake in Egypt's history that they elected the Muslim Brotherhood to power.”

And anger is growing at the apparent lack of support by U.S. President Barack Obama - who has said Washington does not back any particular Egyptian party of group.

“They are supporting their interests, their interests is with the Muslim Brotherhood, because of course they have certain agendas.”

Egypt's military, which said it ousted Morsi in response to the will of the people, flew over the Square to the cheers of thousands, sending a clear message to those below as well as to Morsi supporters.

But as night fell on the Square, it was clear that the anti-Morsi protestors were not going to give up what they say they have won.