The Supreme Guide of the Muslim Brotherhood Mohamed Badie showed up on Friday afternoon at the Rabea al-Adawiya sit-in where Islamists have been camping to demand the return of deposed President Mohamed Morsi.
Badie addressed the thousands in the sit-in on a stage despite earlier news about his arrest.
"We will remain in the squares until Morsi returns to his post," he told the crowd, which erupted in chanting for the legitimacy of the ousted president who was ordered out of office by a military statement on Wednesday following mass calls for his departure.
Addressing Morsi, Badie said, "we will sacrifice our souls for you." He reminded that the revolution will remain peaceful, "our peacefulness is stronger than their bullets and their tanks."
Badie called on the army to "return to Egypt and the Egyptian people," in an allusion to their working against the will of the nation. He called on the army to leave politics and protect the borders of the country. "We protect you and you defend us from our enemies," he said.
Badie stressed that Christians are part of the nation and said their pope should not be speaking on their behalf. Pope Tawadros of the Coptic Church was part of the meeting from which the Armed Forces Commander Abdel Fattah al-Sisi announced the ouster of Morsi on Wednesday.
Military choppers flew at a low altitude as Badie addressed the sit-in.
[This article originally appeared on Mada Masr.]