Morsi supporters protest overthrow at Dublin embassy

Between 60 and 70 supporters of desposed Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi gathered at the Egyptian embassy in Dublin this evening to protest his overthrow.

Supporters of Mr Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood in Ireland voiced their anger at how the man who last year became Egypt's first democratically-elected president could be ousted, and called for him to be reinstated as president.

Thousands of Morsi supporters were demonstrating in cities across Egypt on what his Muslim Brotherhood called a "Friday of rage" against what they describe as a military coup that toppled Egypt's first elected leader a year after he took office.

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Morsi supporters outside the Egyptian embassy in Dublin today. Photograph: Alan Betson/The Irish Times

Protesters in Dublin chanted in support of Mr Morsi and carried posters with the slogan “Yes to legitimacy”.

Mohamed Omar, a Morsi supporter living in Dublin, said they had come out in support of Mr Morsi because he had been democratically elected.

“We’re here today to support democracy in Egypt and Dr Morsi - we gave him our vote, and then the army came in and break everything. Everything should be stopped. The army should be sent back to the border or their camps and the civilians should control the country.

“We support him because we gave him our voice - it’s not easy for someone to come in and say everything is finished, we don’t accept this.

“We don’t support the army controlling the country; for 50 years they controlled Egypt,” he added.

Morsi supporters he had spoken to in Egypt were living in fear and afraid to leave their homes as violence had erupted, he said.