Egypt coup: Some shocked, some elated
A man with his face painted in Egyptian colors celebrates in Tahrir Square.
July 4th, 2013
12:19 AM ET

Egypt coup: Some shocked, some elated

  • Today, Egypt swore in an interim president, Adly Mansour
  • Deposed President Mohamed Morsy remains under house arrest
  • The Muslim Brotherhood says Morsy is cut off from communications
  • Tahrir Square is quiet, and some protesters are making plans to clean up the trash there
  • Refresh this page for the latest news we're seeing and hearing. Catch up with our full story here.

[Update 7:00 a.m. ET, 1:00 p.m. in Egypt] ...250...the number of arrest warrants for Muslim Brotherhood members in connection with killings in front of MB headquarters, which came under attack days ago.  Egypt's new prosecutor general, who Morsy had deposed, issued the warrants.

Muslim Brotherhood headquarters after they were attack.

[Updated at 6:50 a.m. ET, 12:50 p.m. in Egypt] Bahrain's King al-Khalifa, who has had to deal with his own popular uprising, enthusiastically congratulated interim President Adly Mansour "on taking over the reins of power in Egypt at this important time in history."  Iran's state-run Mehr News Agency gave Morsy a kick over his religious orientation on his way out: "Sunni Morsi immediately turned into a critical figure against the Iranian Shia government and has not allowed Iran to appoint an ambassador in Cairo."

[Updated at 5:28 a.m. ET, 11:28 a.m. in Egypt] Mansour says the Egyptian people have empowered him to "amend and correct" the revolution.

[Updated at 5:28 a.m. ET, 11:28 a.m. in Egypt] Who is interim President Adly Mansour?  His low-key demeanor might be the very reason the military picked him, analysts say. CNN's Faith Karimi explains.

[Updated at 5:11 a.m. ET, 11:11 a.m. in Egypt] Mansour appears before Egypt's assembly, prepares to speak.

[Updated at 5:11 a.m. ET, 11:11 a.m. in Egypt] Did Morsy's personal style rub Egyptians the wrong way and contribute to his downfall? Read this portrait of the deposed president by CNN's Laura Smith-Spark.

Also, "coup" or no "coup?" CNN's Christian Amanpour does not mince words:

[cnnvideo url='http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2013/07/04/ac-egypt-battle-over-the-word-coup.cnn' inline='true']

[Updated at 4:50 a.m. ET, 10:50 a.m. in Egypt] Reactions have been pouring in from world leaders. Most of them are along the same lines: carefully formulated, and express respect for the will of the Egyptian people. Among the countries that have sent in reactions are Morocco, Jordan ....

[Updated at 4:38 a.m. ET, 10:38 a.m. in Egypt] CNN's Ian Lee reporting in front of the high court: This is the same place, where Mosry was installed just a year ago.

[Updated at 4:34 a.m. ET, 10:34 a.m. in Egypt] Mansour remains chief justice, as well, Egyptian state TV reports.

[Updated at 4:28 a.m. ET, 10:28 a.m. in Egypt]  Interim Egyptian President Adly Mansour was sworn in in Cairo.

[Updated at 4:16 a.m. ET, 10:16 a.m. in Egypt] Two leading figures of the Muslim Brotherhood were arrested today, Egytian state radio reports. The former speaker of parliament and a member of the party's executive office were taken to Cairo's Torah prison.

[Updated at 4:10 a.m. ET, 10:10 a.m. in Egypt] Today, the European Union called on Egypt to go down the path of democracy, human rights and non-violence.  Its head of foreign affairs and security, Catherine Ashton, said:

"I welcome the peaceful manner in which most demonstrations have been conducted thus far, but I find continuing cases of sexual abuse of female protesters deeply troubling. I urge all sides to show restraint.... Confrontation cannot be a solution."

[Updated at 3:53 a.m. ET, 9:53 a.m. in Egypt]  Egypt's military has arrested Morsy and other members of the Muslim Brotherhood. It shut down pro-MB broadcasters and raided al Jazeera's Cairo office after it aired a statement by the deposed president.  Then army leaders say today that the military will protect Islamists from attacks and intimidation, state-run Nile TV reports.  And they say they will not shut any factions out of political life.  That brings up an interesting question:

[Updated at 2:52 a.m. ET, 8:52 a.m. in Egypt] Human Rights Watch weighs in on what the Muslim Brotherhood should do next:

[Updated at 2:41 a.m. ET, 8:41 a.m. in Egypt] Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has said he is concerned about stability in Egypt but also respects the will of the people. He hopes Egypt will exit the current crisis stronger.

[Updated at 2:28 a.m. ET, 8:28 a.m. in Egypt]  Health officials say 32 people were killed in clashes in Egypt yesterday.

[Updated at 2:10 a.m. ET, 8:10 a.m. in Egypt] This is a statement from the UAE, which says it is "following with satisfaction" the developments in Egypt. In the UAE, the Muslim Brotherhood is a banned organization.

"H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, said that the UAE has full confidence that the great people of Egypt will be able to overcome the current difficult moments that the country is experiencing in order to reach a safe and prosperous future. ...

"His Highness added that the great Egyptian army proves, once again, that it is the strong shield and the protector that guarantees that the country is a land of institutions and law that embraces all the components of the Egyptian people."

[Updated at 1:52 a.m. ET, 7:52 a.m. in Egypt] Instagram has put together a collection of the best photos and videos by its users.  View here

View this post on Instagram

#egypt revolts

A post shared by Aisha ✨ عائشة (@aishaalshabrawy) on

(from @AishaalShabrawy)

[Updated at 1:45 a.m. ET, 7:45 a.m. in Egypt] Morsy deprived the opposition of a political process, activist Ahmed El Hawary told CNN's Anderson Cooper. "We don't have - we didn't have any outlets or anyway to be heard unless we go down to the streets and chant our demands, and even though, he ignored us."

[Updated at 1:27 a.m. ET, 7:27 a.m. in Egypt] A popular image on the photo social media site Imgur, allegedly from Egypt.

[Updated at 12:19 a.m. ET Thursday, 6:19 a.m. in Egypt] Welcome to Thursday's Egypt live blog.  With Mohamed Morsy out of power, some of his opponents are making plans to clean up Tahrir Square, while his supporters say they will protest until he is reinstated as president.  CNN's Ben Wedeman, a veteran journalist, who was long based in Cairo, warns that there will likely be no calm after the storm of recent protests.

[Updated at 11:52 p.m. ET, 5:52 a.m. in Egypt] Some 40 anti-Morsy protesters are planning to meet with cleaning equipment to polish up their former protest campground, Tahrir Square.  They have invited over 2,000 people to join them on Facebook

[Updated at 11:03 p.m. ET, 5:30 a.m. in Egypt] CNN's Jake Tapper outlines some fine points of Obama's reaction to the Egyptian military's actions:

President Obama’s statement Wednesday evening about the Egyptian military’s seizure of power from President Mohamed Morsy is as telling for what he doesn’t say as for what he does: he doesn’t mention the word “coup.” He doesn’t call upon the Egyptian military to restore power to the “democratically elected civilian government,” but rather to a“democratically elected civilian government” - in other words, it need not be Morsy’s.

The thinking of the president and senior Obama administration officials, according to a knowledgeable source, is that while the administration is not explicitly supporting the removal of Morsy from power - it expressly did not support the move - it is seeking to now push the Egyptian military in a direction.

If the Obama administration were to use the word “coup.” that would have legal ramifications that would result in the end of U.S. aid. If White House officials were to pull the plug completely, they would be removing themselves from the picture altogether. Read the story.

[Updated at 10:19 p.m. ET, 4:19 a.m. in Egypt] CNN's Ben Wedeman, who spent time at a pro-Morsy rally in Cairo on Wednesday evening, reported he spoke to one protester who said he felt demonstrators would stay there "until Mohamed Morsy is once again president of Egypt."

Wedeman recalled the exchange early Thursday after leaving the pro-Morsy rally to go to the larger gathering at Cairo's Tahrir Square, where people still were celebrating Morsy's ouster.

Wedeman said that although much focus is on the joy and excitement at Tahrir Square, "there's a significant portion of the Egyptian population - (although) I wouldn’t suggest it’s a majority - who are very upset at what has happened."

Wedeman, a CNN senior international correspondent who'd previously served as CNN's Cairo bureau chief, said it appeared the overall mood in Egypt would be different than 2011, when then-President Hosni Mubarak was deposed. In 2011, Wedeman said, Mubarak's supporters kept a low profile for months.

"There's not going to be that quiet after the storm this time around," Wedeman said.

[Updated at 10:06 p.m. ET, 4:06 a.m. in Egypt] Get ready for an extremist backlash to Morsy's ouster, says Mohammed Ayoob, Michigan State University professor emeritus of international relations.

"The major lesson that Islamists in the Middle East are likely to learn from this episode is that they will not be allowed to exercise power no matter how many compromises they make in both the domestic and foreign policy arenas," Ayoob wrote for a CNN.com opinion piece. "This is likely to push a substantial portion of mainstream Islamists into the arms of the extremists who reject democracy and ideological compromise."

CNN's Ben Wedeman, reporting from Cairo, also said there's a danger that some members of the Muslim Brotherhood will break from the main group and "challenge (Egypt's new leaders) with violence."

They may take the attitude of "we tried to play the game, our leaders were jailed, our media have been shut down ... so we’re going to destroy the system," said Wedeman, who is a CNN senior international correspondent and had previously been CNN's Cairo bureau chief.

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Filed under: Arab Spring • Egypt • Elizabeth Warren
soundoff (334 Responses)
  1. Mary

    "THIS IS NOT A COUP D'ETAT" – Statement by Egyptian Streets
    Egyptians have reacted angrily to the labelling of the "second Egyptian revolution" as a 'coup d'eat' by western media.

    They have the right to be angry. Having reported on the discontent towards former president Mohammed Morsi since December 2012, it is very clear that the military did not over throw the Muslim Brotherhood or Morsi – the Egyptian people overthrew them, in a fight that started in November 2012.

    If the President of a country refuses to listen to the demands of 33 million people that had taken to the streets in what was dubbed the world's largest demonstration in the history of mankind, then how could the Egyptian people achieve their goals while remaining peaceful?

    The Egyptian military did not initiate ‎#Morsi's toppling. Morsi initiated it when he ignored the demands and aspirations of millions of Egyptians. The military felt inclined to intervene as to avoid violence and to help the Egyptian people achieve their dreams of an Egypt that is free and just.

    Of course the coming period is uncertain. But one thing is clear: Egyptians no longer simply believe they have entered an era where they are capable of deciding their own future. Instead, the Egyptian people have shown that they will take all necessary action to ensure the future they achieve is one that represents the dreams of every Egyptian.

    The June 30 movement was not a Military coup, but a revolution led by the Egyptian people.

    July 4, 2013 at 8:58 am | Report abuse |
    • Adham

      Indeed I agree with you Mary. This is not a Coup D'ETAT. This is the well and the demand of people.

      July 4, 2013 at 9:33 am | Report abuse |
    • Mary

      Thank @ KR and Adham 🙂 You both have a wonderful day as well.

      July 4, 2013 at 9:42 am | Report abuse |
  2. ronvan

    YAWN!! Let the Egyptian people take care of their OWN problems! 30+ million people wanted Morsi out! Now, with the assistance of THEIR military, he is! And as yet, the military has not gone crazy! IF, reports are accurate the violence might come from the muslim brotherhood? Lets hope not, and that they can show the world they can have their own government without bloodshed. I doubt it!

    July 4, 2013 at 9:02 am | Report abuse |
  3. Mary

    Good morning KR. This is actually a statement by "Egyptian Streets" on Facebook

    July 4, 2013 at 9:20 am | Report abuse |
  4. Mary

    Lol, someone named Jo Jo posted "do you feel like we do" full version by Peter Frampton 😉

    July 4, 2013 at 9:25 am | Report abuse |
  5. Hand of Allan

    It was a waste of time. Islam is about oppression, violence, murder, raping, lying, cheating, stealing, robbing, etc.
    Having more than one sect within Islam: priceless.

    July 4, 2013 at 9:29 am | Report abuse |
  6. Mary

    Did not the Egyptian people act upon our own declaration yesterday... 🙂

    July 4, 2013 at 9:44 am | Report abuse |
  7. alex

    if the first "revolution" ousted the leader of the country either democratically elected or not isn't that still a coup. A coup can happen in non democracies.

    Call it what you want when you forcibly remove a leader using the military it is a coup. I just hope this coup is good for Egypt. Not all coups are bad some have been very good for countries. In the 60s venezuela ousted it's first dictator which spanned one of the greatest economic expansions in the south america for 20 years.

    All I hope is that Egyptian people learn democracy is not a magical solution that will fix all problems in a day it sometimes takes decades.

    The US became a democratic country in 1776 and it still isnt perfect. So to the egyptian people you have to learn patience and to work with your enemy.

    July 4, 2013 at 9:56 am | Report abuse |
  8. saywhat

    Lets see what the elections bring if they are held at all. The military dependent for aid on US & used to ruling was restless since the revolution.
    A stable Egypt is vital for the region.

    July 4, 2013 at 10:05 am | Report abuse |
  9. Mary

    And what is 600 US military personnel gonna do with 33 million people. Is this really saywhat?

    July 4, 2013 at 10:06 am | Report abuse |
  10. saywhat

    Perhaps advisers @Mary otherwise it doesn't make sense.
    But what you say about the aspirations of the Egyptians is true. They are no longer going to bow down to the elite or whoever tries to impose its will and brand of governance on them. They will fight for their rights. And good luck to them. Meddlers take heed.

    July 4, 2013 at 11:34 am | Report abuse |
  11. saywhat

    As i had said in my earlier posts. Morsi was not able to do the balancing act that was essential to forge unity among the people to take Egypt forward. he lost the historic opportunity to redeem his country. Future is now rather uncertain.

    July 4, 2013 at 11:37 am | Report abuse |
  12. saywhat

    And on the debate on 'coup', whenever military is involved in change its perceived as a 'coup'. But installing a civilian member of judiciary as the interim leader instead of a general has softened that perception.

    July 4, 2013 at 11:42 am | Report abuse |
  13. saywhat

    As for your question on what 600 US army personnel can do with 33 million Egyptians @Mary. Its the Egyptian military that is poised now to deal with any opposition. In what capacity the US military is there remains a question.

    July 4, 2013 at 11:45 am | Report abuse |
  14. sgt garlic

    What happened in Egypt is a warning sign to world leaders. Some of those democratically elected think that they are free to pursue their own, and their family's and their supporters agenda during their mandate. I'm sure Morsi was busy laying the foundation of decades of Muslim brotherhood ruling of Egypt, even grooming his grandson to be president in 2045, and at the same time losing sight of the Egyptians people plight. Events always teaches us how to things differently as they unfold, and today we would perhaps find it inconceivable to overthrow a king if the French hadn't decided to do so in 1989.

    July 4, 2013 at 12:03 pm | Report abuse |
  15. saywhat

    Thanks@Mary
    enjoy the holiday.

    July 4, 2013 at 1:06 pm | Report abuse |
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