Pressure mounts in Cairo

Thousands of demonstrators from both sides of the argument were gathering in two locations in the capital Cairo and numbers were growing steadily as the day wore on.

Anti-Morsi protesters gathered outside the presidential palace, largely ignoring the barricades erected last week by security forces, while Morsi supporters met at a loud and vociferous rally in the Sadr City district.

Masked gunmen with shotguns attacked opposition protesters camped out in Tahrir Square early today, firing birdshot and wounding nine people.

The opposition has yet to decide whether to campaign for a No vote or call for a boycott of Saturday's referendum.

President Morsi has given the military the power of arrest in order that they can join the police in maintaining security until after the results of the vote are announced.