Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators flooded the streets of Cairo and cities across Egypt to protest against President Mohamed Morsi on June 30, the end of his first full year in office. Opponents called for his resignation and began a petition to have him removed from office before the end of his term. Meanwhile, at the presidential palace, Morsi supporters held a competing rally. The anti-Morsi protests were a long time in the making and capped off several weeks of tension between pro- and anti-Morsi factions.
An Egyptian opposition protester holds a chair and knife during a clash between supporters and opponents of President Mohammed Morsi in downtown Damietta, Egypt, Wednesday, July 3, 2013, after the 48 hour deadline issued by the military had expired.
Opponents of Egypt's Islamist President Mohammed Morsi pray in Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt, Wednesday, July 3, 2013. Egypt's military held an emergency meeting Wednesday hours ahead of its deadline for the country's embattled Islamist president to yield to the demands of millions of protesters or face intervention by the army, a defense official said.
Amr Nabil/AP
An opponent of Egypt's Islamist President Mohammed Morsi chants slogans during a protest outside the presidential palace.
Volunteers form a safe zone between men and women to prevent sexual harassment during a protest against President Mohammed Morsi in Tahrir Square, July 3, 2013. Sexual assult and reports of rape have spiked during the protests.
A man kisses a poster with the photograph of Egypt's Islamist President Mohammed Morsi during a rally, in Nasser City, July 3, 2013. Egypt's military moved to tighten its control on key institutions Wednesday, even putting officers in the newsroom of state TV, in preparation for an almost certain push to remove the country's Islamist president when an afternoon ultimatum expires.
Hassan Ammar/AP
An opponent of Egypt's Islamist President Mohammed Morsi chants slogans during a protest outside the presidential palace, in Cairo, Egypt, Wednesday, July 3, 2013, after the deadline on the military's ultimatum to President Mohammed Morsi had expired.
Khalil Hamra/AP
An Egyptian protester lights a flare in a crowd of demonstrators in Cairo's landmark Tahrir square on July 1, 2013.
Outside the presidential palace in Cairo, protesters demand the resignation of President Mohamed Morsi.
Hundreds of thousands of Egyptian demonstrators gather in Tahrir square.
Military helicopters circle Tahrir Square while demonstrators opposing Morsi shout slogans against him and the Muslim Brotherhood during a protest in Cairo on July 1. The Egyptian military gave politicians 48 hours to resolve the crisis.
An Egyptian looks at the damaged Muslim Brotherhood headquarters in eastern Cairo. Protesters stormed the building early Monday morning.
Morsi opponents march toward the presidential palace in Cairo on June 30.
Members of the Muslim Brotherhood and others who support Morsi stage a counter-protest in the suburbs of Cairo on June 29. Many within Egypt believe the president was fairly elected and should serve out his term.
Mohamed Abd El Ghany/Reuters
Egyptian women listen to a speech by Morsi during a demonstration at Tahrir Square on June 26, just days before hundreds of thousands of people would take to the streets to contest his legitimacy as president.
Asmaa Waguih/Reuters
Thousands of Morsi supporters gathered on June 21 to show that many in Egypt still back the president.
Gianluigi Guercia/AFP/Getty
Egyptian riot police try to diffuse clashes between supporters of the ruling Muslim Brotherhood and protesters calling for the resignation of Culture Minister Alaa Abdel Aziz in Cairo on June 11. Anger bubbled over after the head of Egypt’s opera house was fired, and artists accused the Islamist regime of trying to control cultural institutions.
A grassroots organization called Tamarod has been collecting signatures to petition for Morsi’s ouster. This picture, taken on June 7 at the Tamarod office in Cairo, shows an anti-Morsi leaflet. The group claims to have collected 22 million signatures so far and is vowing to continue protesting until the president resigns.
Mohamed El-Shahed/AFP/Getty
