Thousands of protesters occupied Cairo\'s Tahrir Square on Tuesday Thousands of protesters occupied Cairo\'s Tahrir Square on Tuesday to demand the cancellation of President Mohammed Morsi\'s controversial constitutional declaration. Dozens of parties and civil society groups had called for the protests after Morsi\'s declaration last Thursday, which significantly expanded his powers and declared the Constituent Assembly and Shura Council immune from judicial challenge.
Protesters from the leftist Tagammu Party arrived in Tahrir from Talaat Harb Street. Party members as well as members of the Socialist Youth Union and other revolutionary forces raised party flags and photos of martyrs.
A march from Cairo University consisting of hundreds of students arrived in the square on Tuesday evening. Protesters from Helwan and Ain Shams universities had gathered at Cairo University, chanting against Morsi, the Muslim Brotherhood, the Constituent Assembly and the recently-issued constitutional declaration. They formed a human chain along the side of the road in an effort to keep traffic moving smoothly.
Former presidential candidate Hamdeen Sabbahi led a march of thousands from Mostafa Mahmoud Mosque in Mohandiseen district to the square, while the prominent leader of the Egyptian opposition Mohammed Elbaradei led another one from Shubra neighbourhood.
The classic chants of the revolution came in loud roars, with protesters shouting, \"The people want to bring down the regime,\" as well as newer slogans such as, \"Bread, freedom, down with Constituent Assembly.\"
Several political parties also participated in the Shubra march, including the Free Egyptians party, the Social Democratic Party, the Adl Party, the Socialist Popular Alliance Party, and the Revolutionary Socialists Movement. \"We didn\'t give all these sacrifices to get rid of Hosni Mubarak\'s regime to have an elected president ruling with the same dictatorial style of Mubarak. I will stay here until he [Morsi] steps down,\" a protester said.
A number of demonstrators told Arabstoday that their large numbers made a fallacy of the Brotherhood\'s claim that they represent the majority, chanting, \"They said we are a minority, we showed them today who are the majority.\"
A rival rally in Cairo by the Muslim Brotherhood in support of the president was called off to \"avoid potential unrest\", according to a statement released by the Freedom and Justice Party, the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood.
Ayman al-Sayad, a political adviser of President Morsi, told Arabstoday that he has filed an initiative to the president which is aimed at finding a way out of the current crisis. \"The whole debate is around the formation of the Constituent Assembly. I suggest returning back on a temporary basis to the constitution of 1971 with the amendments agreed in a referendum held in March 2011. Then after four or five years, when the political atmosphere will hopefully be much quieter, we can set up a Constituent Assembly to draft a new constitution,\" he said.
Liberal political activist Amr Hamzawy said that the occupation of Tahrir Square on Tuesday, proves that the Egyptians are refusing the \"dictatorial declaration\" issued by Morsi. Hamzawy called on the president to annul his declaration before the situation aggravates, and there are more rifts among the Egyptian people.