Cairo calm with more protests due

Cairo was quiet early on Wednesday, the morning after the night before. Tuesday saw tens of thousands of Egyptians take their protest to the doors of the official residence of President Mohamed Mursi. The Islamist leader was forced to leave the presidential palace as irate compatriots raged against his rule. Mursi unleashed a tidal wave of fury following his November 22 decree, which placed the office of president above the law. Cairenes in the city want a return to normality: “We really need stability. Rational, civilised people should sit together and see what is good for the people and do it. Whether it is the opposition or protesters or the Muslim Brotherhood. Everyone should work for the good of the country. Leave religion and Sharia and all that out of it because we are all Muslims and believe in God,” said one man: Riot police clashed with thousands of demonstrators overnight outside the presidential palace and fired tear gas rounds into the crowd, 18 people suffered minor injuries. The chaos in the country looks set to spread as Mursi pushes ahead with plans to hold a referendum on a new constitution on December 15. The draft constitution has thrown up some human rights concerns and independent TV channels and newspapers have gone on strike to protect press freedoms. Mursi is now back at his desk in the presidential palace, but for Egypt it is far from business as usual.