Courts close doors in Morsi protest as new rallies are planned

The cassation court and the lower appeals court both announced they would stop all their work until Mr Morsi rescinded the controversial measure.

Critics branded Mr Morsi a "new pharaoh" following last Thursday's decree that puts his actions beyond the censure of the the courts.

He also placed parliament's lower chamber and the constituent assembly - both dominated by his Muslim Brotherhood - beyond oversight.

Egypt's Supreme Constitutional Court is also embroiled in the row, dismissing claims today that it was trying to bring down Morsi's regime.

President Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood have hinted that the constitutional court was conspiring with the army and have made claims that it leaks verdicts before they're announced.

The court is due to rule on the legality of the two bodies on Sunday, but is banned from doing so by the new edict.

It had dissolved the Islamist-dominated lower house in June because of concerns over the electoral law.

Most of the country's lower-court judges have already suspended work following a strike vote against the decrees.

Up to 200,000 Egyptians were estimated to have joined protests in Tahrir Square - the centre point of demonstrations that toppled previous leader Hosni Mubarak last February - on Tuesday.

There were other demonstrations around the country and regional offices of the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party have been attacked.

Brotherhood activists have pledged to protect their premises with human chains.

The secular protesters have announced plans for another massive rally on Friday but police attacked some demonstrators in Cairo today.

Young protesters were reportedly attacked with tear gas and beaten by police in Simon Boulevard Square.

But the Brotherhood and some hardline Salafist groups have pledged to hold protests across Egypt at the weekend in favour of the president's decision.

Mr Morsi has insisted that the additional powers are only temporary and will end as soon as a new parliament is elected next year, but the opposition maintains it is a Mubarak-style power grab.