Tens of thousands of supporters of Egypt's deposed president, Mohammed Morsi, set up a potential showdown with the police and army on Friday by rejecting demands to end their sit-ins across Cairo.

The "Anti-Coup Coalition", led by Mr Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood, said that rather than disband it would stage new rallies across the capital after Friday prayers – the last of the fasting month of Ramadan.

The police told the protesters to leave the streets "quickly" after a statement demanding that the sit-ins be dispersed on Wednesday afternoon.

On Thursday they offered the protesters "safe passage" free of fear of prosecution if they abandoned their occupation of two major squares, one outside the Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque in eastern Cairo, near the main presidency and republican guard buildings, and one in Giza to the west.

But the protesters released a statement calling on the outside world to rise up "in solidarity with the Egyptian people who are urged to gather in all Egyptian streets and squares, in all provinces, cities and villages".

From The Telegraph