Egypt's military-appointed interim government has vowed to clamp down hard if supporters of ousted President Mohamed Morsi block roads or obstruct traffic during anti-coup demonstrations.

The Interior Ministry issued the warning in a statement on Saturday, a day after thousands of Muslim Brotherhood activists and their supporters staged nationwide rallies after Friday prayers against a brutal crackdown by the army.

The ministry accused the demonstrators of committing "many crimes" such as blocking traffic and "kidnapping journalists and confiscating their equipment".

"The ministry affirms that it will confront with utmost decisiveness practices such as blocking roads or obstructing traffic or threatening the security of citizens," the statement read.


On Friday, the demonstrators demanded Morsi’s reinstatement and called for the release of Brotherhood activists arrested by police.

They also chanted slogans against army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who toppled Morsi and suspended the constitution on July 3.

The protests were held against the backdrop of deployment of large numbers of security forces across the country.

The interim government has launched a bloody crackdown on anti-coup protesters and arrested more than 2,000 Muslim Brotherhood members, including the party’s leader, Mohamed Badie, who was detained on August 20.

About 1,000 people were killed in a week of violence between Morsi supporters and security forces after police dispersed their protest camps in a deadly operation on August 14.

The massacre sparked international condemnation and prompted world bodies to call for an independent investigation into the violence.