Protests return to Tahrir Square

Protestors once again have massed in Egypt's Tahrir Square and around the country in opposition to their ruling leader. Yesterday a crowd of more than 200,000 gathered in growing opposition to President Mohamed Morsi's decree last Friday that granted him sweeping constitutional powers. Tahrir Square became the epicenter of the protests in early 2011 that led to the resignation of former president Hosni Mubarak. -- Lloyd Young ( 28 photos total)

Egyptian protesters shoot fireworks as they demonstrate against President Mohamed Morsi's decree, in Tahrir Square on Nov. 27. Thousands took to the streets across Egypt to protest a decision by President Mohamed Morsi to grant himself sweeping powers. Protesters in Cairo converged on Tahrir Square where a sit-in began on 23 Nov. after the Islamist leader signed a decree making all his decisions and laws immune from legal challenge. (Andre Pain/European Pressphoto Agency)

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Egyptian protesters chant slogans at a rally in Tahrir Square on Nov. 27. Egyptians flocked to Cairo's central Tahrir Square on Tuesday for a protest against Egypt's president in a significant test of whether the opposition can rally the street behind it in a confrontation aimed at forcing the Islamist leader to rescind decrees that granted him near absolute powers. (Khalil Hamra/Associated Press) #

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Egyptian protesters hold a national flag and shout slogans against a President Mohamed Morsi decree in Tahrir Square. (Andre Pain/European Pressphoto Agency) #

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Egyptian security forces arrest a protester during clashes near Tahrir Square, where an opposition rally has been called for to voice a rejection of President Morsi's seizure of near absolute powers, in Cairo, Egypt, on Nov. 27. (Khalil Hamra/Associated Press) #

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Anti-Morsi protesters try to carry a man affected by tear gas during clashes with riot police at Tahrir Square in Cairo. Opponents of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi rallied in Cairo's Tahrir Square for a fifth day on Tuesday, stepping up calls to scrap a decree they say threatens Egypt with a new era of autocracy. (Ahmed Jadallah/Reuters) #

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An anti-Morsi protester holds empty tear gas canisters that were shot by the riot police during a protest at Tahrir Square in Cairo. (Mohamed Abd El Ghany/Reuters) #

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An anti-Morsi protester flashes 'V' signs during clashes with riot police at Tahrir Square in Cairo on Nov. 27. (Ahmed Jadallah/Reuters) #

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A protester holds a placard against the Egyptian president at an opposition rally in Tahrir Square. (Khalil Hamra/Associated Press) #

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Supporters of Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi chant slogans and wave is campaign posters and a national flag outside the Presidential Palace in Cairo, Egypt, on Nov. 23. Supporters and opponents of Egypt's Islamist president staged rival rallies Friday after he assumed sweeping new powers, a clear show of the deepening polarization plaguing the country. (Ahmed Gomaa/Associated Press) #

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Anti-Morsi protesters carry a man affected by tear gas during clashes with riot police at Tahrir Square in Cairo on Nov. 27. (Ahmed Jadallah/Reuters) #

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A masked Egyptian protester takes cover during clashes with security forces on Nov. 27 near Tahrir square, where an opposition rally has been called for to voice rejection of President Morsi's seizure of near absolute powers, in Cairo, Egypt. Egyptian protesters and police clashed in Cairo on Tuesday just hours ahead of a planned massive rally by opponents of the country's Islamist president demanding he rescind decrees that granted him near-absolute powers. (Khalil Hamra/Associated Press) #

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Riot police use tear gas during clashes with anti-Morsi protesters at Tahrir Square in Cairo on Nov. 27. (Mohamed Abd El Ghany/Reuters) #

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A protester runs to throw a tear gas canister back at police during clashes near Tahrir Square in Cairo, as anti-Morsi protesters start to gather in the square on Nov. 27. (Asmaa Waguih/Reuters) #

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Egyptian protesters opposed to president Mohammed Morsi take cover during clashes with Morsi supporters near Tahrir Square on Nov. 23. Opponents and supporters of Mohammed Morsi clashed across Egypt on Friday, the day after the president granted himself sweeping new powers that critics fear can allow him to be a virtual dictator. (Mohammed Asad/Associated Press) #

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Protesters run from the riot police during clashes at Tahrir square in Cairo on Nov. 25. Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi's decree that put his decisions above legal challenge until a new parliament was elected caused fury amongst his opponents on Friday who accused him of being the new Hosni Mubarak and hijacking the revolution. Police fired tear gas in a street leading to Cairo's Tahrir Square, heart of the 2011 anti-Mubarak uprising, where thousands demanded Morsi quit and accused him of launching a "coup". (Mohamed Abd El Ghany/Reuters) #

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A protester cheers as items ransacked from an office of the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party burn in Alexandria on Nov. 23. (Reuters) #

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Protesters chant slogans against Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi during a demonstration at Tahrir Square in Cairo on Nov. 23. The words on the ground read: "Go away Morsi". (Mohamed Abd El Ghany/Reuters) #

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A protester passes out due to the tear gas fired by the riot police in Cairo on Nov. 25. (Mohamed Abd El Ghany/Reuters) #

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A protester waves an Egyptian flag amidst clashes in Tahrir Square on Nov. 25. (Mohamed Abd El Ghany/Reuters) #

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A protester returns a tear gas canister to the riot police in Cairo on Nov. 25. (Mohamed Abd El Ghany/Reuters) #

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A riot police officer covers his face from tear gas during clashes with anti-Morsi protesters at Tahrir Square in Cairo on Nov. 27. (Ahmed Jadallah/Reuters) #

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A protester carries a cross and a Koran as anti-Morsi protesters chant anti-government slogans in Tahrir Square on Nov. 27. Opponents of President Mohamed Morsi clashed with Egyptian police on Tuesday as thousands of protesters stepped up pressure on the Islamist to scrap a decree they say threatens the nation with a new era of autocracy. (Asmaa Waguih/Reuters) #

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Former Egyptian presidential candidate Hamdeen Sabahi speaks during a demonstration in Tahrir Square on Nov. 27. More than 200,000 people flocked to Cairo's central Tahrir square on Tuesday, chanting against Egypt's Islamist president in a powerful show of strength by the opposition demanding Mohammed Morsi revoke edicts granting himself near autocratic powers. (Nariman El-Mofty/Associated Press) #

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Anti-Morsi protesters chant anti-government slogans at Tahrir Square on Nov. 27. (Mohamed Abd El Ghany/Reuters) #

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President Mohammed Morsi, center right, waves to supporters outside the Presidential palace in Cairo, Egypt, on Nov. 23. (Egyptian Presidency via Associated Press) #

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Makeshift tents during a sit-in at Tahrir Square on Nov. 25. Media reports state that clashes erupted between protesters and riot police near the US embassy in central Cairo. The protests started on Nov. 19 with a demonstration marking the anniversary of last year's deadly clashes. More protesters gathered onNovember 22 shortly after President Mohamed Morsi issued a constitutional amendment preventing the courts from blocking his decrees or drafting a new constitution. (Khaled Elfiqi/European Pressphoto Agency) #

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Egyptian protesters hold a giant national flag during a protest against the President Mohamed Morsi decree at Tahrir Square on Nov. 27. (Andre Pain/European Pressphoto Agency) #

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Protesters demonstrate against the President Mohamed Morsi decree at Tahrir Square on Nov. 27. Thousands took to the streets across Egypt to protest a decision by President Mohamed Morsi to grant himself sweeping powers. Protesters in Cairo converged on Tahrir Square where a sit-in began on Nov. 23 after the Islamist leader signed a decree making all his decisions and laws immune from legal challenge. (Andre Pain/European Pressphoto Agency) #