Egyptian protesters chant slogans and wave national flags in Tahrir Square, the focal point of Egyptian uprising, in Cairo Sunday, June 30, 2013. Thousands of opponents and supporters of Egypt's Islamist... (Associated Press) 
 
 Tens of thousands of opponents of Egypt's Islamist president massed in Cairo's Tahrir Square and in cities around the country Sunday, launching an all-out push to force Mohammed Morsi from office on the one-year anniversary of his inauguration. Fears of violence were high, with Morsi's Islamist supporters vowing to defend him. 
 
 Waving Egyptian flags, crowds packed Tahrir, the birthplace of the 2011 uprising that toppled autocrat Hosni Mubarak, and chants of "erhal!", or "leave!" rang out. 
 
 On the other side of Cairo, thousands of Islamists gathered in a show of support for Morsi outside the Rabia al-Adawiya Mosque near the Ittihadiya presidential palace, which the opposition planned to march on in the evening. Some Morsi backers wore homemade body armor and construction helmets and carried shields and clubs _ precautions, they said, against possible violence. 
 
 There is a sense among opponents and supporters of Morsi that Sunday is a make-or-break day, hiking worries that the two camps will come to blows, even as each side insists it won't start violence. Already at least seven people, including an American, have been killed in clashes the past week, mainly in Nile Delta cities and the coastal city of Alexandria. 
 
 The demonstrations are the culmination of polarization and instability that have been building since Morsi's June 30, 2012 inauguration as Egypt's first freely elected leader. The past year has seen multiple political crises, bouts of bloody clashes and a steadily worsening economy, with power outages, fuel shortages, rising prices and persistent lawlessness and crime. 
 
 In one camp are the president and his Islamist allies, including the Muslim Brotherhood and more hard-line groups. They say street demonstrations cannot be allowed to remove a leader who won a legitimate election, and they accuse Mubarak loyalists of being behind the campaign in a bid to return to power. They have argued that for the past year remnants of the old regime have been sabotaging Morsi's attempts to deal with the nation's woes and bring reforms. 
 
 Hard-liners among them have also given the confrontation a sharply religious tone, denouncing Morsi's opponents as "enemies of God" and infidels. 
 
 On the other side is an array of secular and liberal Egyptians, moderate Muslims, Christians _ and what the opposition says is a broad sector of the general public that has turned against the Islamists. They say the Islamists have negated their election mandate by trying to monopolize power, infusing government with their supporters, forcing through a constitution they largely wrote and giving religious extremists a free hand, all while failing to manage the country. 
 
 The opposition believes that with sheer numbers in the street, it can pressure Morsi to step down _ perhaps with the added weight of the powerful military if it signals the president should go. 
 
 "Today is the Brotherhood's last day in power," predicted Suliman Mohammed, a manager of a seafood company who was protesting at Tahrir, where crowds neared 100,000 by early afternoon. 
 
 "I came here today because Morsi did not accomplish any of the (2011) revolution's goals. I don't need anything for myself, but the needs of the poor were not met." 
 
 Another Tahrir protester, 21-year-old Mohammed Abdel-Salam, said he came out because he wanted early presidential elections. "If he is so sure of his popularity why doesn't he want to organize early elections? If he wins it, we will tell the opposition to shut up." 
 
 Underlining the potential for deadly violence, a flurry of police reports on Sunday spoke of the seizure of firearms, explosives and even artillery shells in various locations of the country, including Alexandria and the outskirts of Cairo. Sunday afternoon, two offices belonging to the Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice party, were attacked and ransacked Sunday by protesters in the city of Bani Suef, south of Cairo. 
 
 In an interview published Sunday in The Guardian, Morsi _ who has three years left in his term _ said he had no plans to meet the protesters' demand for an early presidential election. 
 
 "If we changed someone in office who (was elected) according to constitutional legitimacy _ well, there will (be) people or opponents opposing the new president too, and a week or a month later, they will ask him to step down," Morsi told the British daily. 
 
 "There is no room for any talk against this constitutional legitimacy," he said. 
 
 Traffic in Cairo's normally clogged streets was light at midday as many residents chose to stay home for fear of violence or a wave of crime similar to the one that swept Egypt during the 18-day, anti-Mubarak uprising. Banks were closing early and most government departments were either closed for the day or were thinly staffed. Most schools and colleges are already closed for the summer holidays. 
 
 The opposition protests emerge from a petition campaign by a youth activist group known as Tamarod, Arabic for "Rebel." For several months, the group has been collecting signatures on a call for Morsi to step down. 
 
 On Saturday the group announced it had more than 22 million signatures _ proof, it claims, that a broad sector of the public no longer wants Morsi in office. 
 
 It was not possible to verify the claim. If true, it would be nearly twice the around 13 million people who voted for Morsi in last year's presidential run-off election, which he won with around 52 percent of the vote. Tamarod organizers said they discarded about 100,000 signed forms because they were duplicates. 
 
 Morsi's supporters have questioned the authenticity and validity of the signatures, but have produced no evidence of fraud. 
 
 Adding to his troubles, eight lawmakers from the country's interim legislature announced their resignation Saturday to protest Morsi's policies. The 270-seat chamber was elected early last year by less than 10 percent of Egypt's eligible voters, and is dominated by Islamists. 
 
 A legal adviser to Morsi also announced his resignation late Saturday in protest of what he said was Morsi's insult of judges in his latest speech on Wednesday. 
 
 A week ago, with the public sense of worry growing over the upcoming confrontation, Defense Minister Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi last week gave the president and his opponents a week to reach a compromise. He warned that the military would intervene to prevent the nation from entering a "dark tunnel." 
 
 Army troops backed by armored vehicles were deployed Sunday in some of Cairo's suburbs, with soldiers, some in combat gear, stood at traffic lights and major intersections. Army helicopters flew over Cairo on several occasions on Sunday, adding to the day's sense of foreboding. 
 
 Morsi had called for national reconciliation talks in a Wednesday speech but offered no specifics. Opposition leaders dismissed the call as cosmetics. 
 
 Asked by The Guardian whether he was confident that the army would not intervene if the country becomes ungovernable, Morsi replied, "Very." 
 
 The Egyptian leader, however, said he did not know in advance of el-Sissi's comments last week. 
 
 ____ 
 
 Associated Press reporter Tony G. Gabriel contributed to this report. ||||| Millions of Egyptians filled streets across Egypt on Sunday calling for the departure of Mohamed Morsi on Sunday, hours after the president told the Guardian he would not resign. 
 
 A year to the day after Morsi's inauguration as Egypt's first democratically elected president, up to 500,000 protesters swelled Cairo's Tahrir Square calling for Morsi's removal. They then headed to Itahadiya, the presidential palace in the north-east of the city in the evening. 
 
 Security sources said that at least seven people were killed and more than 600 wounded in clashes between Morsi's supporters and opponents. 
 
 Five of the dead were shot in towns south of Cairo, one each in Beni Suef and Fayoum and three in Assiut. 
 
 Two more were killed by gunfire during an attack on the national headquarters of Mursi's Muslim Brotherhood in a suburb of the capital, medical sources said. 
 
 Hundreds of people throwing petrol bombs and rocks attacked the building, which caught fire as guards and Brotherhood members inside the building exchanged gunfire with attackers. 
 
 State news agency MENA reported that 11 were treated in hospital for birdshot wounds, and across the country, the health ministry said, 613 people were injured as a result of factional fighting in the streets. 
 
 In Alexandria, Egypt's second city, 100,000 rallied in the centre, with similar rallies reported in dozens of other Egyptian cities. The headquarters of the Muslim Brotherhood, Morsi's Islamist group, came under attack as night fell. 
 
 A spokesman for Morsi said that the president knew he had made mistakes and was working to fix them. Omar Amer added that Morsi was serious in his repeated calls for national dialogue. 
 
 "(Morsi) announced to all of Egypt's people that he made mistakes and that he is in the process of fixing these mistakes," Amer told a late-night news conference. 
 
 He said Morsi had "extended his hand" for dialogue and wanted to listen to everyone, repeating the president's previous calls for national dialogue, which the opposition has rebuffed as not serious. 
 
 "I want to confirm one truth, if there is a total lack of response to this initiative, no listening to it, no interest in it from any side, what do you think the presidency can do?" the president's spokesman said. "The presidency is now waiting for a reaction, no matter how small, so it can build on it." The scale of the protests – which took place on the first day of the Egyptian working week – surpassed predictions made by presidential aides, who had expected only 150,000 people to take part nationwide. 
 
 A military source told Reuters that as many as 14 million people in the country of 84 million took part in the demonstrations. There was no independent way of verifying that estimate, though the armed forces used helicopters to monitor the crowds. 
 
 "The scenes of protests are unprecedented in size and scope, and seemingly surpass those during the 18-day uprising that toppled Mubarak," said Michael Hanna, a fellow at the Century Foundation and a longtime Egypt analyst. 
 
 The scale of protests were even more remarkable, Hanna said, because they were "a bottom-up, grassroots effort and not directed by political opposition leaders. In a sense, they have latched on to this expanding current. While the organisers were diligent and creative, while lacking organisation and funding, this breadth of mass mobilisation could not have transpired unless the protest movement was tapping into deep and growing frustration and disenchantment with the current course of the country and its leadership." 
 
 Some senior members of the Muslim Brotherhood spent the day travelling, fearing for their safety. Morsi himself moved from Itahadiya to the Quba palace, a state building in a safer part of Cairo. 
 
 "Egyptians are doing it again," said Ahmed Said, a leader of the largest opposition coalition, the National Salvation Front (NSF). 
 
 "They insist on regaining their hijacked revolution. We have revolted to reclaim our dignity, and reclaim our dignity we will." 
 
 But Morsi was defiant in the face of such dissent. "If we changed someone in office who [was elected] according to constitutional legitimacy – well, there will be people opposing the new president too, and a week or a month later they will ask him to step down," Morsi told the Guardian in an exclusive interview.While Morsi was elected in free elections, his opponents believe he has failed to uphold the democratic values on which a well-rounded democracy depends. In particular, he has been criticised for using a presidential decree to force through an Islamist-slanted constitution, viewed by many as the act of a dictator. 
 
 Among many other complaints, Morsi has been accused of presiding over the oppression of activists and journalists, and a marked drop in living standards. 
 
 Once a consensus candidate for Islamist and secular voters, critics say he has alienated secular politicians and failed to achieve the unity he was elected to build. Morsi blames the opposition for failing to meet him halfway. 
 
 "Morsi got elected in a democratic way," said one government critic, businessman Hassan Shanab. "But since he took over, everything's been polarised. All of a sudden, we see ourselves part of an Islamic regime like Iran. Morsi's answerable to the Brotherhood, but they are not answerable to us." As Shanab spoke, a crowd of protesters nearby started pelting a giant poster of Morsi with stones. 
 
 The president still has a vocal support base, 20,000 of whom have been camped in east Cairo since Friday in a show of support for his regime and for its democratic legitimacy. Many of them saw the protests elsewhere as counter-revolutionary and some claimed they had been started by forces loyal to former dictator Hosni Mubarak. "I'm here to defend my vote, and to defend a revolution I was part of," said Shaima Abdel-Hamid, a teacher and Morsi supporter. 
 
 "We chose a president and now they want to get rid of him when he's dealing with 30 years of corruption. And they want to get rid of him after only a year." 
 
 "Seculars will not rule Egypt again," chanted one crowd of Morsi backers, who come not just from the Muslim Brotherhood, but from other Islamist groups such as Gamaa Islamiya, a Salafi movement. 
 
 A senior Brotherhood politician, Essam El-Erian, denounced the protests as a "coup attempt". In a statement on the group's website, he challenged the opposition to test public opinion in parliamentary elections instead of "simply massing people in violent demonstrations, thuggery or shedding the precious blood of Egyptians". 
 
 Yet many in Tahrir Square emphasised their religiosity, while rejecting what they perceived as the Brotherhood's attempts to run the Egyptian state along religious lines and to arbitrate on the correct interpretation of Islam. "I voted for him," said Haga Zeinab, a niqab-wearing protester in Tahrir. "But it turns out he only thinks his own people can be Muslims." 
 
 Anti-regime protesters created a carnival atmosphere in the square, with many setting off fireworks. At Itahadiya, they bobbed to patriotic songs played from a soundsystem resting on a first-floor balcony. 
 
 But at the Islamist rally, the mood was tetchy, particularly after several Brotherhood offices were attacked this week, and one former Brotherhood MP was killed. Many donned cycle helmets and builders' hard hats, and held shields and sticks in case of attack, waiting in defensive mode behind six lines of security checks. Some carried homemade shields emblazoned with the slogan: "Legitimacy is a red line" – a reference to Morsi's democratic mandate. 
 
 But with senior Muslim clerics warning of the prospect of civil war this week, many of the Islamists promised to act if the presidential palace came under attack from anti-Morsi protesters, and the police or the army fail to defend it. 
 
 The police have historically been no friend of the Brotherhood; across Egypt there were isolated accounts of policemen expressing support for anti-Morsi protesters. 
 
 "Now we're seeing the revolution being threatened," said Mohamed Sherif Abdeen, an IT teacher and member of the Muslim Brotherhood. He was carrying a stick and wearing a hard hat – for self-defence, he said. "We won't do anything if the army and police do their job. But, if not, and they don't protect the presidential palace, we will protect it with our chests." 
 
 At Itahadiya, medics were taking precautions, anticipating night-time attacks from Islamist forces or state officials. Tahrir Doctors, who tend to the injured at most Cairo protests, set up three field hospitals, staffed by about 30 medics. "If we get any injured from any side, we will treat them equally," said Dr Amr Shebaita, the group's head. 
 
 Egypt has been rife with speculation about what will happen next. Two of Egypt's best-known opposition leaders – leftist Hamdeen Sabbahy and liberal Mohamed Baradei – were photographed marching arm in arm towards Itahadiya on Sunday. Should Morsi fall, both are considered potential key players in any transition scenario. Among Morsi's opponents, the most popular and startling choice of successor – at least in the interim – may be the head of the armed forces, General Abdel Fattah Sisi. 
 
 There is widespread support for an army coup, particularly after Sisi hinted at the possibility of military intervention last week. "Come on Sisi," chanted protesters outside the presidential palace on Sunday. "My president is not Morsi." 
 
 Demonstrators camped outside Cairo's defence ministry – in yet another protest – shouted: "The people and the army are one hand." 
 
 Others feel uncomfortable with such sentiment. The Tamarrod campaign, a new protest movement that spearheaded Sunday's protests, issued a statement rejecting support for Ahmed Shafiq, the former air force chief defeated at the ballot box by Morsi last year. But such arguments may be unnecessary. Allies of the president believe protests will dissipate if he can hang on until the start of Ramadan in ten10nine days' time. 
 
 Additional reporting by Mowaffaq Safadi ||||| Opponents of Egypt's Islamist President Mohammed Morsi protest outside the presidential palace in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, June 30, 2013. Hundreds of thousands of opponents of Egypt's Islamist president... (Associated Press) 
 
 Egyptian protesters chant slogans and wave national flags in Tahrir Square, the focal point of Egyptian uprising, in Cairo Sunday, June 30, 2013. Thousands of opponents and supporters of Egypt's Islamist... (Associated Press) 
 
 Opponents of Egypt's Islamist President Mohammed Morsi gather for noon prayers in Tahrir Square, the focal point of Egyptian uprising, in Cairo Sunday, June 30, 2013. Organizers of a mass protest against... (Associated Press) 
 
 Egyptian protesters chant slogans and hold anti-Egypt's Islamist President Mohammed Morsi poster during a rally in Tahrir Square, the focal point of Egyptian uprising, in Cairo Sunday, June 30, 2013.... (Associated Press) 
 
 Supporters of Egypt's Islamist President Mohammed Morsi rally in Nasser City, Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, June 30, 2013. Hundreds of thousands of opponents of Egypt's Islamist president poured out onto the... (Associated Press) 
 
 Supporters of Egypt's Islamist President Mohammed Morsi stand in formation with sticks as they prepare to protect the presidential palace with protective equipment in Nasser City, Cairo, Egypt, Sunday,... (Associated Press) 
 
 Opponents of Egypt's Islamist President Mohammed Morsi protest outside the presidential palace, in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, June 30, 2013. Hundreds of thousands of opponents of Egypt's Islamist president... (Associated Press) 
 
 Opponents of Egypt's Islamist President Mohammed Morsi protest near the presidential palace, in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, June 30, 2013. Hundreds of thousands of opponents of Egypt's Islamist president poured... (Associated Press) 
 
 An opponent of Egypt's Islamist President Mohammed Morsi holds an umbrella as he protests outside the presidential palace in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, June 30, 2013. Organizers of a mass protest against Morsi... (Associated Press) 
 
 An opponent of Egypt's Islamist President Mohammed Morsi holds a shoe against a poster with Arabic that reads, "Huge year strike," during a protest outside the presidential palace in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday,... (Associated Press) 
 
 Egyptian protesters chant slogans against Egypt's Islamist President Mohammed Morsi, during a rally in Tahrir Square, the focal point of Egyptian uprising, in Cairo Sunday, June 30, 2013. Thousands of... (Associated Press) 
 
 Opponents of Egypt's Islamist President Mohammed Morsi rest under shade outside the presidential palace in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, June 30, 2013. Thousands of Egyptians demanding the ouster of Egypt's Islamist... (Associated Press) 
 
 An Egyptian anti-President Mohammed Morsi protester raises a red card with Arabic words saying, "Leave" during a rally in Minya, Egypt, Sunday, June 30, 2013. Thousands of opponents and supporters of... (Associated Press) 
 
 An Egyptian protester watches an Apache army helicopter is it flies over Tahrir Square, the focal point of Egyptian uprising, in Cairo Sunday, June 30, 2013. Organizers of a mass protest against Egyptian... (Associated Press) 
 
 An Egyptian protester wearing a headband reading "leave," chants slogans against Egypt's Islamist President Mohammed Morsi during a rally in Tahrir Square in Cairo, Sunday, June 30, 2013. Thousands of... (Associated Press) 
 
 Opponents of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi hold a large Egyptian national flag during a protest outside the presidential palace, in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, June 30, 2013. Thousands of Egyptians demanding... (Associated Press) 
 
 Opponents of Egypt's Islamist President Mohammed Morsi protest outside the presidential palace, at left, in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, June 30, 2013. Thousands of Egyptians demanding the ouster of Morsi are... (Associated Press) 
 
 Supporters of Egypt's Islamist President Mohammed Morsi chant slogans and dance with sticks during a rally in Nasser City, Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, June 30, 2013. Thousands of opponents and supporters of... (Associated Press) 
 
 A supporters of Egypt's Islamist President Mohammed Morsi dances with a stick during a rally in Nasser City, Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, June 30, 2013. Hundreds of thousands of opponents of Egypt's Islamist... (Associated Press) 
 
 Supporters of Egypt's Islamist President Mohammed Morsi hold sticks and shields as they rally in Nasser City, Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, June 30, 2013. Hundreds of thousands of opponents of Egypt's Islamist... (Associated Press) 
 
 Opponents of Egypt's Islamist President Mohammed Morsi march towards the presidential palace in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, June 30, 2013. Hundreds of thousands of opponents of Egypt's Islamist president poured... (Associated Press) 
 
 Opponents of Egypt's Islamist President Mohammed Morsi protest outside the presidential palace in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, June 30, 2013. Hundreds of thousands of opponents of Egypt's Islamist president... (Associated Press) 
 
 An Egyptian protester waves a national flag as Egyptians gather in Tahrir Square during a demonstration against President Mohammed Morsi in Cairo, Sunday, June 30, 2013. Hundreds of thousands of opponents... (Associated Press) 
 
 Opponents of Egypt's Islamist President Mohammed Morsi protest outside the presidential palace in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, June 30, 2013. Hundreds of thousands of opponents of Egypt's Islamist president... (Associated Press) 
 
 An Egyptian protester chants slogans during anti-Egypt's Islamist President Mohammed Morsi rally in Tahrir Square, the focal point of Egyptian uprising, in Cairo Sunday, June 30, 2013. Organizers of a... (Associated Press) 
 
 An Egyptian girl holds a poster with Arabic that reads, "Heave, Huge year strike," as she chants slogans during a protest against Egypt's Islamist President Mohammed Morsi outside the presidential palace,... (Associated Press) 
 
 Opponents of Egypt's Islamist President Mohammed Morsi hold posters with Arabic that reads, "Leave, the people want the fall of the regime," during a protest outside the presidential palace in Cairo,... (Associated Press) 
 
 Egyptian protesters pray the noon prayer under a national flag during a rally in Tahrir Square, the focal point of Egyptian uprising, in Cairo Sunday, June 30, 2013. Thousands of Egyptians demanding the... (Associated Press) 
 
 An opponent of Egypt's Islamist President Mohammed Morsi chants slogans as he holds pot covers with Arabic that reads, "leave," during a protest outside the presidential palace, in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday,... (Associated Press) 
 
 An Egyptian anti-President Mohammed Morsi protester sits on a palm tree as he holds a noose and a national flag in Tahrir Square, the focal point of Egyptian uprising, in Cairo Sunday, June 30, 2013.... (Associated Press) 
 
 A woman holds an Egyptian national flag during a protest calling for the ouster of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi outside the presidential palace in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, June 30, 2013. Thousands of... (Associated Press) 
 
 Men in protective gear march from a rally to support Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi, seen on poster, as a contingent prepares to protect the presidential palace in Nasser City, Cairo, Sunday, June... (Associated Press) 
 
 Thousands of people gather to support Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi in Nasser City, Cairo, Sunday, June 30, 2013. Thousands of opponents and supporters of Egypt's Islamist president began massing... (Associated Press) 
 
 Women attend a rally to support Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi in Nasser City, Cairo, Sunday, June 30, 2013. Thousands of opponents and supporters of Egypt's Islamist president began massing in city... (Associated Press) 
 
 Supporters of Egypt's Islamist President Mohammed Morsi stand in formation with sticks as they prepare to protect the presidential palace in Nasser City, Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, June 30, 2013. Thousands... (Associated Press) 
 
 Opponents of Egypt's Islamist President Mohammed Morsi look at a military helicopter flying over the presidential palace, in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, June 30, 2013. Hundreds of thousands of opponents of... (Associated Press) 
 
 Egyptians wave the national flags from their balconies as they watch opponents of Egypt's Islamist President Mohammed Morsi protest outside the presidential palace in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, June 30, 2013.... (Associated Press) 
 
 Egyptian protester chants slogans against Egypt's Islamist President Mohammed Morsi during a rally in Tahrir Square in Cairo, Sunday, June 30, 2013. Hundreds of thousands of opponents of Egypt's Islamist... (Associated Press) 
 
 Egyptian protesters pray during a demonstration against Egypt's Islamist President Mohammed Morsi in Tahrir Square in Cairo, Sunday, June 30, 2013. Hundreds of thousands of opponents of Egypt's Islamist... (Associated Press)
– Officials say three anti-government protesters have been killed in the southern Egyptian city of Assiut, after suspected Islamists riding a motorbike fired on protesters outside a local government building. One was killed and seven injured, prompting protesters to march on the local office of the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice party, where at least two more were shot by gunmen inside the building, the AP reports. Another protester was killed outside Freedom and Justice party headquarters in Beni Suef. The country is gripped with anti-government protests today, with hundreds of thousands massing in Cairo's Tahrir Square and other cities around the country to call for the removal of President Mohamed Morsi, the AP reports. "Today is the Brotherhood's last day in power," says one protestor at Tahrir. "I came here today because Morsi did not accomplish any of the [2011] revolution's goals ... the needs of the poor were not met." But Morsi, who has three years left in office, remains defiant in the face of growing opposition and calls for an early election. "If we changed someone in office who [was elected] according to constitutional legitimacy—well, there will be people opposing the new president too, and a week or a month later they will ask him to step down," he told the Guardian.