Egypt Islamists call Friday protest over 'military coup'

An Egyptian army armored personnel carrier and soldiers are stationed on a street in Cairo following the toppling of ousted Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi on July 4, 2013. An alliance of Islamist parties and movements including ousted president Mohamed Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood has called for "peaceful protests" on Friday to denounce the military's overthrow of the Islamist president. (AFP)

CAIRO (AFP) – An alliance of Islamist parties and movements including ousted president Mohamed Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood has called for "peaceful protests" on Friday to denounce the military's overthrow of the Islamist president.

The National Alliance to Support Legitimacy called for "peaceful protests on Friday in all of Egypt's provinces to denounce the military coup against legitimacy and in support of the legitimacy of President Morsi".

In a statement earlier, the Muslim Brotherhood and its political arm, the Freedom and Justice Party, slammed "the terror of the police state through its arrests of Brotherhood leaders and the closure of satellite channels".

The statement was read out to Morsi supporters gathered in Cairo's Nasr City surrounded by army vehicles, a day after he was overthrown by the military.

A military source told AFP that the pro-Morsi protesters were free to come and go but were being screened for weapons "to ensure security".