Egypt’s military removed democratically elected President Morsi from office today as part of a coup.
The military has installed a temporary civilian government and called for democratic elections to be held at a later date.
Millions of people cheered on television. Recent anti-Morsi demonstrations have been far larger than the protests against former President Hosni Mubarek seen in Tahrir Square in 2011.
Military leader General Abdul Fattah al-Sisi gave a televised speech after the coup.
He told BBC News that former president "failed to meet the demands of the Egyptian people."
President Morsi belonged to the Muslim Brotherhood. Their television stations went off the air after the speech.
Syrian leader Bashar Assad supports the Egyptian military’s takeover.
"What is happening in Egypt is the fall of so-called political Islam. This is the fate of anyone in the world who tries to use religion for political or factional interests," Syrian President Assad told The Associated Press .
Muslims who support President Morsi are staging their own protests over the coup.