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Egyptians are reacting to the fast-moving developments in their country, after the army ousted President Mohammed Morsi and put him under house arrest.
The top judge of Egypt’s Constitutional Court, Adly Mahmud Mansour, has been sworn in as interim leader, saying that fresh elections were “the only way” forward, but gave no indication of when they would be held.
Here, Egyptian readers give their reaction to Mr Morsi’s removal and their views on what they think should happen next.
Reem Shalan, Cairo
“There were so many people out on the streets on Wednesday night and the atmosphere was so patriotic.
There were patriotic songs and fireworks. There were small kids, old men and women, people of all ages and from all backgrounds.
A couple of months ago, people were sceptical of the army. However, we have now seen our faith restored.
This is not a military coup, as many are saying. Muslims, Coptic Christians, the rebel movement – we all wanted Morsi removed.
I voted for Morsi last year because I didn’t want anyone like Ahmed Shafik in power, who was related to the old regime. Now I realise that Mubarak’s regime and Morsi’s are comparable. Neither cared about the country, only power.
Morsi was doing everything to benefit the Muslim Brotherhood, but was doing nothing for the people. We didn’t feel positive about the effects of the revolution.
The poor didn’t see any improvements. We thought they would be in a better state one year on and we thought we would have true democracy.
The people of Egypt have made mistakes since the revolution. We won’t repeat them. This time we have an actual plan and I am optimistic, not scared, for the future, with the new interim president being sworn in.”
Islam Hawala, Giza
“This is a full-blown military coup. The military are using the people as an excuse to remove a democratically elected president. They have pushed the people to the streets so that they can gain power.
I can’t accept it. I can’t live in a country where my voice is not heard because of the military.
I will continue to protest against this. We don’t have a democracy anymore. The military have taken it away from us. We will take to the streets and stay there. We don’t have weapons. We are a peaceful party. I will stay there and die silently if I have to. Protests are all we have left now.
I have been to many pro-Morsi protests over the past few days. There were many people there and they have been peaceful. The people who wanted Morsi removed have their right to protest too, but protesting doesn’t mean overthrowing the president. This is not democracy. It is anti-democratic to fight the system.
When Morsi came to power I thought he would be able to change many things, but he didn’t. But what we need to remember is that he was elected democratically.
Morsi was unable to stop a lot of the corruption left over from the Mubarak regime, but the Muslim Brotherhood is not corrupt. It is peaceful and wants the best for the people.
The military is only going to divide Egypt. Most people have never even heard of Adly Mahmud Mansour. The judiciary will obey the military and do as they say. The military will control Mansour. They will let him take the blame if anything goes wrong.
I just don’t know what will happen next. I know Morsi will not be president again, but I can’t accept any other president.”
Ikram Nosshi, Cairo
“The atmosphere in Egypt is amazing at the moment.
The removal of Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood regime was a must. They divided the country from day one.
Morsi proved to be a president for just one sector of the nation and allowed Wahabi Imams and ideas to poison the moderate Egyptian Islam preached and respected by Coptic Christians, such as myself.
I am optimistic about the future now. The army have a roadmap for the future in place and things are looking better. I hope there will be a joint effort between different parties. There are many capable people that could be part of the next government.
Back in 2011, the atmosphere and sentiment of the revolution was incredible. We were hoping for a better, democratic Egypt. It had nothing to do with religion at the time.
Last year, I voted for Ahmed Shafik, but some of my family didn’t vote at all. Some families in Egypt became divided by politics.
Unfortunately the Muslim Brotherhood and Morsi changed nothing when they got into power. They hijacked the role of the revolution. Egyptians are religious and spiritual by nature. Many took the Muslim Brotherhood as a sign that the country would be run better so they gave Morsi their votes.
However, the Muslim Brotherhood took the country in the wrong direction.
We’ve had problems with gas, diesel, electricity and water shortages. What has happened over the past year has been diabolical.”
Radwa Gamal, Ismailia
“Wednesday night was insane here. People didn’t go to bed. They stayed up all night celebrating.
I am now cautiously happy, as I don’t know how things will turn out. Every day we are waking up to a new reality. We’ve learned a lot over the past two years.
The military was good at running the country after Mubarak, but no one knows who this interim president is.
I suppose this is what happens in a military coup. And this is a military coup, but one with popular support. This is different to what happened to Mubarak, as Morsi was democratically elected.
I am a little concerned as to what the military is planning. What we need is democratic elections as soon as possible. This will be the real challenge. We need a clear timeline.
We have given a strong message to whomever is the next president. They now know that they will have to listen to the people or they will not hold on to power for long.
We don’t want a president that will promise things that he can’t fulfil.
Security is the main concern of Egyptians right now. For more than two and half years we have had an absolute absence of security in the streets. We had an unprecedented rise in cases of kidnapping, murder, and rape. People need to feel that they can walk safely in the streets.
Egyptians have paid a high price for change and they want to reap the fruits of this effort.”
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