A special cabinet will be chaired in Egypt today to discuss and diffuse the tensions in the country. Hundreds of thousands of ordinary citizens, journalists and even lawyers joined the throng of crowds protesting through the night in various cities. The marches and protests which sparked violence during the day in and around Tahrir Square in Cairo continued, with police standing firm firing teargas to try and disperse people.

President Mursi's sweeping new powers have shocked people to the core. Some two-hundred thousand people - who never thought they would have to stand side by side here again as they did in defiance of toppled former president Hosni Mubarak - are out in force again. And this time it's all because his successor Mohammed Mursi who took over five months ago has issued a decree expanding his powers and saying no authority or court can revoke any of his decisions. His backers say such a decree was needed to protect the new administration against Mubarak loyals with the judiciary who want to hijack the revolution. While opponents say Mursi's turned into a new dictator.

Written and presented by Marverine Cole