(NECN: Mike Nikitas) - Restless crowds already in the hundreds of thousands grew to jubilant throngs in the millions on word that the Egyptian military had ousted President Mohammed Morsi.
The military leadership went on national TV, announcing that it had replaced Morsi with the chief justice of the Egyptian high court, suspended the constitution and was calling for a new presidential election.
The chief general insisted the military was carrying out the will of the people.
Morsi could not fix to the country's mounting economic woes. He was criticized for giving too much power to his Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamists.
It was a rejection of an experiment in Muslim government in a modern Middle Eastern country.
The Egyptian police moved quickly to quell any backlash from Morsi and his supporters. They arrested his top aides and shut down the Brotherhood's TV station.
In the meantime, the crowds, though emotional, showed no signs of widespread violence. The questions will come when the emotions subside.
Politics
What is next in the largest Muslim country in the Arab World?
