Thousands of protesters are converging to main squares in Cairo and governorates on Saturday night, hours before nationwide protests are expected to erupt to press for the ouster of President Mohamed Morsi.

In Cairo's downtown, tens of thousands are filling up the iconic Tahrir Square.

Protests have already started in governorates such as Suez, Sharqiya, Menoufia and Gharbiya.

Traffic in Egypt's second-largest city, Alexandria almost came to a standstill in the late hours of Saturday after thousands of protesters held sit-ins in some vital districts.

In Suez, a city known for being somewhat volatile, the army distributed flyers among demonstrators urging them to stay away from state institutions and prisons.  

The anti-Morsi protesters are demanding early presidential elections only one year after Morsi came in office.

On Saturday, 'Rebel' campaign announced that the initiative founded to force President Mohamed Morsi out of power had collected over 22 million signatures, surpassing its original goal of 15 million before 30 June.

The aim of the campaign was to outnumber the amount of votes Morsi had garnered in the presidential elections.

In Cairo, tens of thousands of Islamist supporters are holding day two of their sit-in in support of President Mohamed Morsi in front of Rabaa Al-Adawyia Mosque in Nasr City, protesting what they perceive as the opposition's violation of democratic legitimacy.

Many are fearful of potential violence on Sunday following weeks of tension between supporters and opponents of the president in several governorates.

On Friday, several governorates witnessed clashes between supporters and opponents of President Morsi. The day also saw the killing of three in Alexandria, including one American, in addition to attack on several headquarters of the Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party.