Egypt's highest court suspended its sessions indefinitely on Sunday after Islamist protesters surrounded the building before a ruling on the fate of the panel that drafted the country's constitution. In a statement, the supreme constitutional court (SCC) called it a "dark day" in the history of the judiciary and expressed sadness at the "psychological assassination" of the court

A large crowd estimated to range between a few hundred to a few thousand people rallied in Cairo on Friday to protest against Islamist influence in the drafting of Egypt's new constitution. Shouting slogans against the Muslim Brotherhood, which controls the country's presidency and the constituent assembly, the crowd marched from several points and assembled in Tahrir Square, the scene of violent clashes during a similar protest last week.