The growing chaos along the vital canal zone showed little sign of abating on Monday as President Mohamed Morsi called out the army to try to regain control of three cities along the Suez Canal whose growing lawlessness is testing the integrity of the Egyptian state. The coalition's conditions included a demand that Mursi accept responsibility for the bloodshed and agree to form a government of national salvation, echoing previously unmet demands by the opposition.
– Despite President Mohamed Morsi declaring a state of emergency yesterday, protests are raging in Cairo and other parts of Egypt for a fifth consecutive day today, the New York Times reports. Marchers in Port Said, one of three provinces where Morsi declared a curfew, said they no longer recognize his authority and called on everyone to ignore the curfew. Opposition groups have called for more protests throughout Egypt today to mark the two-year anniversary of the "Day of Rage," a brutal day of clashes during the uprising that ousted Hosni Mubarak. Protests began last week to mark the two-year anniversary of the uprising, then grew over the weekend after 21 people involved in a soccer riot were sentenced to death. In addition to the state of emergency, one of the most hated Mubarak-era laws still in effect, al-Jazeera reports that Egypt's Cabinet has given the army the right to arrest civilians and act alongside police; the upper house of parliament must still ratify the draft law. Morsi has invited opposition leaders to a "national dialogue" tonight, and initial reports indicated they would participate. But now the Guardian reports that the National Salvation Front, the country's opposition coalition, has rejected the plan. Leading member Mohamed ElBaradei called Morsi's offer "cosmetic and not substantive," Reuters reports. The coalition has given a list of conditions Morsi must meet before they will enter into talks.