Thousands of Muslim Brotherhood backers took to Egypt’s streets on Saturday in support of President Mohamad Mursi.

Thousands of Muslim Brotherhood backers took to Egypt’s streets on Saturday in support of President Mohamad Mursi.

The demonstration in the heart of Cairo comes a day after tens of thousands of Mursi opponents converged on Tahrir Square to protest against new expanded powers and the drafting of a contested charter.

The charter has taken centre stage in the country's worst political crisis since Mursi's election in June, squaring largely Islamist forces against secular-leaning opponents.
It is expected to go to a popular referendum within two weeks.

Members of the constituent assembly were due to hand Mursi at 4:00 pm (1400 GMT) the final draft of the constitution adopted after a marathon overnight session on Thursday that was boycotted by liberals, seculars and Christians.
Thousands of pro-Mursi demonstrators, and other Salafists gathered at Cairo University, with riot police on standby and roadblocks in place.

"The Muslim Brotherhood supports President Mursi's decisions," read a banner carried by Islamists who chanted: "The people want the implementation of God's law".

Pro-Morsi protests were also staged in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria and the central Egyptian province of Assiut.
Across the Nile river, hundreds of protesters camping out in Tahrir Square since Mursi issued a decree expanding his powers were expected to be joined by more demonstrators throughout the day.

The National Rescue Front -- a coalition of opponents led by dissident former UN nuclear watchdog chief Mohamed ElBaradei, ex-Arab League chief Amr Mussa and former presidential candidate Hamdeen Sabbahi -- has called on the decree's opponents to keep up the pressure.

It has called on Egyptians to "reject the illegitimate" decree and the "void" draft constitution, and stressed the public's right "to use any peaceful method to protest including a general strike and civil disobedience".