It would seem that the violent confrontations resulting from the state’s attempts to disperse the pro-Muslim Brotherhood protests at Rabia al-Adawiya Mosque and Nahda Square have become inevitable. But, will these confrontations end the conflict with the Muslim Brotherhood, or take it to new levels — more violent ones maybe? And, what are the practical alternatives to dispersing those two sit-ins? Is dispersing the protests truly necessary? Such a question no longer has a place in the public’s opinion. For most Egyptians, the question has become, "When will the sit-ins be dispersed?"

When will the sit-ins be dispersed?

An opinion poll conducted by the Baseera Center for Public Opinion Research has shown that only 20% of Egyptians sympathize with the protests currently underway by supporters of former President Mohammed Morsi, compared to 71% who do not sympathize; while 9% said that they could not form an opinion about the matter. Upper Egypt showed the highest level of sympathy with  27% of respondents expressing sympathy for the protests, while only 15% of respondents from Lower Egypt sympathized with the sit-ins; and sympathizers from urban governorates numbered 16%. Another opinion poll conducted by the Ibn Khaldoun Center for Development Studies revealed that a majority of Egyptians — 63% — favored the dispersal of the protests immediately, with most of them favoring a nonviolent resolution. Approximately 30% of those polled considered the protesters to be terrorists, and 27% said that some were peaceful and some were terrorists; which means that 57% of respondents think that there are terrorists present at the protest sites. So, few Egyptians believe that the protests are peaceful, and the vast majority of them do not sympathize with them. Most of those who took part in the July 26 demonstrations that Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi had called for, did so to authorize to the army and police to disperse those two sit-ins, considering them loci for armed criminals, and confront the wave of violence perpetrated by the Brotherhood in all governorates. This included controlling the aggressive marches that blocked roads, bridges and antagonized inhabitants of various areas, in addition to eradicating terrorism from the Sinai and spreading the Egyptian state’s control over the peninsula and the rest of the country.

In this regard, the media constantly displays images of the berms and military fortifications that the protesters have erected, complete with firing holes from which to shoot at potential attackers. It also airs news about the slaughterhouses used by the Brotherhood to torture their opponents and shows their use of firearms, buckshot and Molotov cocktails in multiple attacks against Tahrir Square, the Media Production City and other places. The press talks about children being lured to the protest sites — possibly to be used as human shields — with promises of new clothes for Eid al-Fitr, candy and money. Furthermore, news has started coming out about attacks against Christian homes, property and churches in Upper Egypt and Port Said, which suggests that the Brothers and their allies aim to plunge the country in an inferno of sectarian strife.