Civil war

"The people, the army and the police are one hand," shouted a policeman, leading a group of chanters.

Armored personnel carriers guarded every entrance to the square.

Anti-Morsi protesters chant slogans during a mass protest to support the army in Tahrir square in Cairo, July 26, 2013. [Photo/Agencies]

The Brotherhood, which has manned a street vigil for almost a month with thousands of followers demanding Morsi's return, has called for its own counter-demonstrations.

Confrontation appears inevitable following a month of clashes in which close to 200 people, mainly supporters of Morsi, have been killed. Many people in the Arab world's most populous country fear the worst.

"I'm staying home all day, it's too dangerous to work. I didn't think things in Egypt could get this bad, but every day you hear about clashes and deaths," said Shadi Mohamed, a 22-year-old taxi driver. "Egypt is a disaster."