Military ultimatum sparks fears of Egyptian coup

But the ultimatum raised worries on both sides the military could take over outright, as it did after the 2011 ousting of autocrat Hosni Mubarak.

It also raised the risk of a backlash from Mr Morsi’s Islamist backers, including his powerful Muslim Brotherhood and hardliners, some of whom once belonged to armed militant groups. Already they vowed to resist what they depicted as a threat of a coup against a legitimately-elected president.

Pro-Morsi marches numbering in the several thousands began after nightfall in a string of cities around the country, sparking clashes in some places. An alliance of the Brotherhood and Islamists read a statement at a televised conference calling on people to rally to prevent “any attempt to overturn” Mr Morsi’s election.

“Any coup of any kind against legitimacy will only pass over our dead bodies,” one leading Brotherhood figure, Mohammed el-Beltagi, told a rally by thousands of Islamists outside a mosque near the Ittihadiya presidential palace.

A line of around 1,500 men with shields, helmets and sticks – assigned with protecting the rally – stamped their feet in military-like lines, singing “Stomp our feet, raise a fire. Islam’s march is coming”.

After midnight, Mr Morsi’s office issued a statement saying a “modern democratic state” was one of the main achievements of the anti-Mubarak revolution, adding: “With all its force, Egypt will not allow itself to be taken backward.”

It said Mr Morsi was still reviewing the military’s statement, but added some parts of it “could cause disturbances in the complicated national scene”.

US president Barack Obama said America was committed to democracy in Egypt, not to any particular leader. Travelling in Tanzania, Mr Obama said that although Mr Morsi was democratically elected, the government must respect its opposition and minority groups.

In the second day straight day of anti-Morsi protests nationwide, men and women danced outside the Ittihadiya palace, some cried with joy and bands on a stage played revolutionary songs after the military’s statement.

But the army’s stance also raises an unsettling prospect for many of them as well. During the time the generals were in power, many of those now in the anti-Morsi campaign led demonstrations against military rule, angered by its management of the transition and heavy hand in the killing of protesters.

“Morsi will leave, but I’m concerned with the plan afterwards. The military should be a tool to pressure, but we had a bitter experience with military ruling the country, and we don’t want to repeat it,” said Roshdy Khairy, a 24-year-old doctor among the throng in Tahrir Square.

Hours after its announcement, the military issued a second statement on its Facebook page denying it intended a coup. “The ideology and culture of the Egyptian armed forces does not allow for the policy of a military coup,” it said.

In its initial statement, the military said it would “announce a road map for the future and measures to implement it” if Mr Morsi and its opponents cannot reach a consensus within 48 hours – a virtual impossibility. It promised to include all “patriotic and sincere” factions in the process.

The military underlined it will “not be a party in politics or rule”. But it said it has a responsibility to find a solution because Egypt’s national security is facing a “grave danger”, according to the statement.

It did not detail the road map, but it heavily praised the massive protests that began on Sunday demanding that Mr Morsi step down and that early elections be called – suggesting that call had to be satisfied. It said the protests were “glorious,” adding that the participants expressed their opinion “in peaceful and civilised manner.” It urged “the people’s demands to be met.”

In a sign of Mr Morsi’s growing isolation, five Cabinet ministers said they had resigned, the state news agency said. The five were the ministers of communications, legal affairs, environment, tourism and water utilities, MENA reported. The foreign minister also submitted his resignation, government officials said.

The governor of the strategic province of Ismailia on the Suez Canal, Hassan el-Rifaai, also quit.

Sunday’s protests on the first anniversary of Mr Morsi’s inauguration were the largest seen in the country in the two and a half years of turmoil since Egyptians first rose up against Mubarak in January 2011. Millions packed Tahrir Square, the streets outside the Ittihadiya presidential palace and main squares in cities around the country.

Violence broke out in several parts of the country, often when marchers came under gunfire, apparently from Islamists.

In Cairo, anti-Morsi youth attacked the main headquarters of the Muslim Brotherhood with stones and firebombs, while Brotherhood supporters barricaded inside opened fired on them. The clash ended early yesterday when the protesters broke into the luxury villa and ransacked it, starting fires.

Nationwide, at least 16 people were killed on Sunday and more than 780 injured, Health Ministry spokesman Yehya Moussa said.

The crowds returned yesterday across the country, in a more joyous mood after the military’s announcement gave them hope of a quick victory. The group organising the protests, Tamarod, Arabic for “Rebel”, issued an ultimatum of its own, giving Mr Morsi until this afternoon to step down or it would escalate the rallies.

Mr Morsi and Brotherhood officials say they are defending democratic legitimacy and some have depicted the protests as led by Mubarak loyalists trying to return to power. But many of his Islamist allies have also depicted it as a fight against Islam.

“The military has sacrificed legitimacy. There will be a civil war,” said Manal Shouib, a 47-year-old physiotherapist at the pro-Morsi rally outside the Rabia al-Adawiya Mosque not far from Ittihadiya.