Protesters mark 2011 Egypt uprising's 5th anniversary

Late Sunday night, hundreds of protesters gathered in different parts of Egypt to mark the fifth anniversary of Egypt’s January 25 uprising, which ended the Mubarak regime five years ago, Anadolu Agency correspondents and eyewitnesses said. 

Demonstrations were reported in Cairo’s Nasr City district and in the Ismailia, Beni Sueif, Qalioubiya and Giza provinces. 

In numbers reportedly ranging between dozens and hundreds, protesters shouted slogans against the regime of President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi. 

Some waved photos of Mohamed Morsi, the country’s first democratically elected president, who was ousted and imprisoned following a military coup in mid-2013 led by al-Sisi, a former army chief. 

According to eyewitnesses at the scene, protesters flashed the Rabaa sign -- a four-fingered salute that commemorates the murder of more than 1,000 pro-Morsi demonstrators by Egyptian security forces in the wake of the 2013 coup.

The demonstrations eventually ended after midnight on Sunday without any clashes with security forces reported. 

Egypt’s now-outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group -- of which Morsi (who remains in prison) was a leading member -- has called for anti-regime protests and rallies on Monday to mark the passage of five years since the January 25 uprising. 

"A new wave of protests will revive the spirit of the revolution, which seeks the overthrow of the criminal gang that now runs the country," the Brotherhood said in a statement published on its official website. 

In January and February of 2011, Egyptians took to the streets in massive numbers to protest corruption and police brutality under the regime of autocratic President Hosni Mubarak. 

After 18 days of unabated protests, Mubarak was forced to step down and hand power over to the army. 

One year later, Egyptians elected Morsi -- a Muslim Brotherhood leader -- in the country's first-ever free presidential election. 

The military, however, deposed Morsi after one year in office following protests against his administration. 

Ever since, the Egyptian authorities have launched a relentless crackdown on the Brotherhood and Morsi’s supporters, killing hundreds and arresting tens of thousands. 

In late 2013, the government designated the Brotherhood a "terrorist organization", accusing it of carrying out attacks against Egyptian security forces. 

The Brotherhood, for its part, insists it is committed to peaceful activism with a view to reversing the 2013 military coup and reinstating Morsi as president.