The US State Department on 31 July urged Egypt’s interim government to respect the right of peaceful assembly, after Cairo’s coup leaders said vigils by supporters of deposed President Mohamed Morsi threatened national security and were no longer acceptable. While rejecting proposals to withdraw financial support for the Egyptian interim government, Washington said it was against iron-fist rule. “We have continued to urge the interim government, officials and security forces, to respect the right of peaceful assembly,” deputy spokeswoman Marie Harf told a news briefing. “That obviously includes sit-ins.” The United States had made this point publicly and privately to Egypt’s leaders “and we will continue to do so,” Harf said.
Interior Minister Mohammed Ibrahim said the order to break up the sit-ins by Morsi supporters will be carried out in gradual steps according to instructions from prosecutors. “I hope they resort to reason” and leave without authorities having to move in,” he was cited as saying. Ahmed Sobaie, spokesman of Freedom and Justice party, derided the Cabinet decision as “paving the way for another massacre.” “The police state is getting ready to commit more massacres against the innocent, unarmed civilians holding sit-ins for the sake of legitimacy,” he said.