The Muslim Brotherhood and its political arm, the Freedom and Justice Party, are preparing to secure their headquarters in Cairo and other governorates in advance of planned protests by mobilizing members inside and outside the buildings, said sources close to the group on Thursday.
Former MP Mohamed Abou Hamed and controversial media personnel Tawfiq Okasha have called for demonstrations on 24 August outside the Brotherhood and the FJP headquarters to demand the dissolution of both groups.
The sources said that the Brotherhood told its members to remain in the headquarters starting on 23 August in order to secure the buildings and to start keeping reports on the security situation in each area.
"We are capable of protecting our headquarters. We are confident that the Egyptian people will reject the calls to set them ablaze," FJP leader al-Mohammady Abdel Maqsoud said.
Abdel Maqsoud claimed that the FJP does not need the Interior Ministry to protect its headquarters nationwide, because the masses who voted for the party will stand against such attempts of sabotage.
The Brotherhood Guidance Bureau accused on Wednesday the organizers of the protests of attempting to discredit President Mohamed Morsy, and accused the authorities of ignoring the claims filed against Okasha for allegedly inciting others to attempt to assassinate the president.
Former presidential candidate Hamdeen Sabbahi said he would not participate in the demonstrations and rejected calls for burning the Brotherhood headquarters.
Sabbahi said on Tuesday evening that he would like to give Morsy a fair chance to fulfill his duties before judging him.
Anti-Islamist and pro-military activists distributed statements on Tuesday advocating a second revolution on 24 August against the Muslim Brotherhood, and calling for the downfall of Morsy and the Freedom and Justice Party.
The statements, distributed next to Fateh Mosque in downtown Ramses Square, were passed out at the same time as messages were circulated on Facebook for the so-called “Second Revolution Movement.”
The movement claimed in a statement that the armed forces supported the people’s demands, but then Islamist groups took over the revolution and made the real revolutionaries step aside. It also accused Islamists of manipulating unrest for their own gains.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
