Soldiers stand guard by their armored vehicle in front of the presidential palace in Cairo (photo: AP)
Egypt's Republican Guards have been adding to the walls they built around the presidential palace on Friday ahead of major protests against the draft constitution scheduled for this afternoon.
Soldiers erected two walls near the palace on Friday morning after deadly clashes on Wednesday between supporters and opponents of President Morsi left at least six dead and hundreds injured.
Roads leading to the palace will be blocked with barbed wire and controlled by Central Security Forces and Republican Guards ahead of anti-Morsi marches scheduled to converge on the palace at 5pm on Tuesday. Pro-Morsi supporters will be demonstrating in front of the Al-Rashdan and Raba'a El-Adaweya mosques near the palace at the same time.
There have been violent clashes across the country since President Morsi issued a contentious constitutional declaration on 21 November. Amid the clashes, the Islamist-led Constituent Assembly completed the draft constitution and the president announced it would be voted on in a national referendum on 15 December. Most opposition forces strongly object to the constitution and have called for the referendum to be cancelled.
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