In Pics: June 30 Revolution and downfall of Muslim Brotherhood

CAIRO – 30 June 2023: Ten years ago, on June 30, 2013, hundreds of thousands of Egyptians took to streets, calling for the end of the banned group of the Muslim Brotherhood’s rule and overthrow of late President Mohamed Morsi.

 

The million-man protest was called by “Tamarud Movement,” a political movement gathered millions of Egyptian signatures to topple and withdrew the confidence from Morsi and his Islamist and pro-Muslim Brotherhood party “the Justice and Development.”

 

Tamarud was tasked with collecting 15 million signatures by June 30 to be able to oust the president. Later, it claimed it collected even more, but failed to introduce any evidence proving the counting process was legitimate or accurate.

 

Nevertheless, millions of protesters managed to encourage the Armed Forces to meet the protests’ top demand and put an end to Morsi’s term. Protesters considered Morsi a “puppet” controlled by the Muslim Brotherhood group that he has joined since 1979, complaining that the group is the actual ruler.

 

Although the June 30 protest was peaceful, it was opposed by pro-Muslim Brotherhood’s sit-ins in Cairo’s Rabaa Square and Giza’s Nahda’s Square, where pro-Morsi protesters called for violence.

 

The June 30 Revolution, in cooperation with the Egyptian Armed Forces, led to the downfall of the Muslim brotherhood and Morsi. Supporters and members of the Muslim Brotherhood fled to Turkey and Qatar.

 

In a televised statement on July 3, 2013, Abdel Fattah El Sisi, then defense minister, announced the ousting of Morsi and the suspension of the 2012 Constitution. The president of the Supreme Constitutional Court, Adly Masnour, was ordered to take over presidency until early elections are held.

 

“In 2011, the American ambassador asked: Who can rule Egypt? Will the Muslim Brotherhood rule Egypt? I replied that ‘those who would rule Egypt is the Muslim Brotherhood.' And then?” she asked. I replied: 'they will leave because the Egyptian people never be ruled by force and they never be forced to go to mosques or churches,” said President Sisi, who was then-director of the Military Intelligence Body.

"This meeting has been documented in official minutes," he added during a meeting with Development Partners on the Sidelines of the fourth edition of the World Youth Forum (WYF) in Sharm El Sheikh city.

Additional reporting by Amr Mohamed Kandil