CAIRO--The protests that have led Egypt to the brink of a military coup are hardly the first since Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi took office. In his yearlong tenure, Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood party have defiantly weathered numerous demonstrations and labor strikes as they have attempted to impose their Islamic agenda on the country.

But the Saturday anniversary of his inauguration led to a new, greater groundswell that now appears likely to drive Morsi from office. One factor: A new youth movement, known as Rebel, energized the opposition and claimed to have collected 22 million signatures calling for the president’s resignation.

On Sunday, millions of anti-Morsi protesters and tens of thousands of his supporters held rival rallies across the country. The size of the demonstrations--among the largest protests anywhere, ever--stunned the Brotherhood, providing a pretext for the army to move against Morsi under the guise that it was carrying out the will of the people.

PHOTOS: Massive protest against President Morsi in Egypt


The change in atmosphere was epic. Morsi was caricatured as an Islamist version of his predecessor, Hosni Mubarak, an uncharismatic, tone-deaf autocrat who alienated the youth and mistook bluster for leadership. Gradually, and then very suddenly, the Brotherhood’s blend of religion and politics began to buckle.

“I don’t think there is a future for the Muslim Brotherhood,” said Abdelgelil Mostafa, a political analyst and opposition figure. “They’re in the midst of political suicide.... These people on the streets will not go home until this dark era ends.”

The opposition’s embracing of the army, which was condemned for human rights abuses and civil liberty restrictions during its prior rule, signaled how much the Brotherhood was despised. Opposition figures such as Nobel laureate Mohamed ElBaradei, who once vilified army control, were now asking the generals to re-enter the scene in a moment of opportunity for both.

“Every minute that passes without the armed forces’ intervention to perform its duties and protect the lives of Egyptians will waste more blood, especially since the person in the presidential position has lost his legitimacy and eligibility, and maybe even his mind.”


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