Army forces sealed off all roads leading to the Defense Ministry headquarters in Cairo a few hours before planned demonstrations and marches begin.

The National Coalition for Supporting Legitimacy called for staging mass demonstrations on Friday.

The coalition, which groups Islamist parties supporting ousted President Mohamed Mursi, also said it expects broad participation in today's demonstrations.

Army forces deployed five tanks in front of Ain Shams University's main gate and placed barbed wire in front of it, the correspondent of the state news agency MENA said.

Four other tanks were deployed in front of the Republican Guard headquarters.

The forces also placed barbed wire at the Republican Guard Club gate.