Egyptian security forces have been urged to show restraint during protests Dozens of anti-government demonstrators gathered outside the City Halls of Cairo and Giza on Sunday to call for civil disobedience, in protest against President Mohammed Morsi's regime and to demand a limit to the influence of the Muslim Brotherhood. Egypt's cabinet office criticised the move, saying the protesters were preventing government employees from carrying out their work.
In Giza, traffic came to a halt as protesters led a solidarity march to the City Hall. Security forces cordoned off the building to prevent any potential attacks.
Several opposition groups and political parties had said they would launch a call for civil disobedience outside the City Hall building.
Hundreds of protesters also marched from Talaat Harb Square to Cairo City Hall, urging civil disobedience and calling for the current regime's departure. Demonstrators chanted against President Morsi, the Muslim Brotherhood and Ministry of the Interior.
Security forces were deployed both inside and outside the City Hall to protect employees.
Cabinet spokesperson Alaa el-Hadidi branded media reports of civil disobedience as "utterly false," adding, "what is really happening is that certain individuals are trying to prevent civil servants at some government bureaus from doing their work. We are told that our employees are being assaulted."
"The government salutes citizens' awareness in every workplace for not responding to these calls for disobedience, which intend to harm Egypt, stall the the manufacturing industry and disrupt /people's businesses ," el-Hadidi told the media, urging manufacturers and production workers to coordinate with the police force to protect the interests of the public.