Egypt, protest sparked by dissolution of parliament

Cairo (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Hundreds of demonstrators gathered last night outside the headquarters of the Egyptian Supreme Court, in protest against the dissolution of the lower house of parliament, dominated by Islamists, deeming the elections unconstitutional. For fear of attacks, army and police are guarding the building surrounded by barricades and barbed wire.

Today, the Muslim Brotherhood and Salafists have launched an appeal to all Egyptians inviting them to take to the streets to uphold the values ​​of the revolution. In a statement they warn that there will be "very difficult days that might be more dangerous than the last days of Mubarak's rule. All the democratic gains of the revolution could be wiped out and overturned with the handing of power to one of the symbols of the previous era."

According to Egyptian media the tension is reminiscent of the days previous to the fall of the former president. The population fears a military coup that now controls parliament. The military has promised to guarantee security during the presidential ballots between Mohammed Morsy (Muslim Brotherhood) and Shafiq Ahmed, an independent candidate and former Prime Minister under Mubarak. To avoid clashes they will restore some special laws like the law that allows police to detain protesters suspected of committing crimes throughout the election period.