Sisi urges mass protests on Friday

Egyptian army chief and Defense Minister Abdel-Fatah al-Sisi on Wednesday urged Egyptians to take to the streets for mass protests on Friday to "authorize" him to "confront violence."

"I'm asking the Egyptian people to go out like they did on June 30 and July 3," al-Sisi said in a televised address at a graduation ceremony for military cadets.

"I want you to show the world that you are authorizing me to confront any possible violence and terrorism," he added.

"We need you to authorize me, the army and police to do what it takes to confront violence and terrorism," al-Sisi said.

The powerful army overthrew Morsi, Egypt's first democratically elected president, on July 3 following mass protests against his regime.

It suspended the constitution and installed Adly Mansour, the head of the constitutional court, as interim president.

Morsi supporters have been out on the streets ever since staging mass protests and sit-ins to defend his democratic legitimacy and demand his reinstatement.

They, too, are calling for mass protests on Friday as part of their ongoing show of solidarity with the deposed president.