Egypt divided after overthrow of Mursi by military
'Military overthrow' or 'popular uprising' - Mursi's sudden and dramatic forced departure is both celebrated and condemned on Cairo's streets
The divide seemed as great as the legendary river that runs through this city. On the winning side, there were celebratory fireworks and giddy gridlock, as young women hung out of cars waving flags, while their boyfriends blared their horns. On the losing side, there were gunshots and confused crowds of bearded men, seething with anger.
Both sides of the Egyptian divide used the same words, swearing allegiance to "democracy" and claiming "legitimacy", but it was as if they were speaking different languages. One side's "military coup" was the other's "popular uprising".
At a rally organised by the Muslim Brotherhood in front of the Rabia al-Adawiyya mosque, tens of thousands of Egyptians who believe that Islam should stand at the centre of political life had camped out since Friday. The crowds stood silent on Wednesday to listen to a speech by the head of the armed forces, General Abdelfattah Said El-Sisi, who announced the ousting of Islamist President Mohammed Mursi.
Halfway through Sisi's statement, the men, many wearing construction workers' hard hats, began shouting, "Down with the army!" and banging wooden clubs and metal pipes. Some threw rocks toward an apartment block that housed army officers. Within minutes, shots were fired and panicked men began running in fear down alleyways and through gardens.
Some men broke into tears and vowed to stay at the protest until Mursi was reinstated or they were forcibly removed.
"The dogs have done it and made a coup against us," they chanted. "Dying for the sake of God is more sublime than anything," a speaker declared