Egypt’s rebel movement calls on military guard to ‘arrest President Mursi’

The grassroots opposition movement, which drew millions of Egyptians to protest against President Mohammed Mursi this week, has called on his military guard to arrest him.

The ‘Tamarod’ or Rebel movement on Wednesday dismissed a televised address made by Mursi earlier in the day, in which he made claims to legitimacy.

The movement said in a statement: “The only response to Mursi's speech is to protest on the streets in our millions, starting on Wednesday, so that he and his group hear the voice of the great Egyptian people.

“Not only are we calling for his departure but we call for him and his group to be sent for trial. We call on the Republican Guard to arrest Mohammed Mursi and send him for trial immediately.”

On Monday, the group set a deadline for Mursi to cede power.

The group gave Mursi until 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday to quit, threatening escalated protests if he doesn’t.

“(Mursi) has until 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 2 to leave power. He must do this in order for Egyptian state institutions to prepare for early presidential elections,” the movement said in its first official statement published on its website.

But this move was overshadowed by a deadline set by the army, in which the armed forces gave an ultimatum for him to share power with the opposition by Wednesday afternoon or face a solution imposed by the military.

(With Reuters)

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