Egypt Braced For Violence Amid Coup Protests

Egyptians are bracing themselves for more violence on the Muslim day of prayer - two days after a military coup backed by a popular uprising removed its president.

The Muslim Brotherhood is refusing to accept the fate of its deposed president.

Mohamed Morsi is believed to be under house arrest along with other members of his movement.

As the country's top judge, Adli Mansour, was sworn in as interim president on Thursday, at least four senior figures of the Muslim Brotherhood were arrested.

Mr Morsi's supporters are digging in for sit-in protests in parts of Cairo, manning barricades, brandishing shields and clubs.

They have been surrounded by concentric rings of armour by the military, but there are still fears of violent clashes after Friday prayers.

A few miles away, celebrations continued for a second night in Tahrir Square.

Fireworks were let off in an almost constant cannonade by protesters who had called for an end to Mr Morsi's rule.

They deny this is a military coup. Instead they insist they have sacked a leader who had abused his office to take Egypt in an undemocratic direction.

Teacher Gamal Elbaisi told Sky News he felt liberated now his country's military had removed the Muslim Brotherhood from power.

"Today I feel reborn. They lied to us, they work for them not for us, they work for them," he said.

It seems like the same euphoria that followed the first revolution two and a half years ago, and in some ways that is the point.

After two and a half difficult years, Egyptians are desperate to relive the heady days that came after the fall of Hosni Mubarak.

But they know from bitter experience that there are huge challenges to come and this time a large swathe of the population is bitterly alienated.

They gave democracy a chance and now find their choice of president has been taken away and arrested just a year into office.