Updated

Thousands of people waving Egyptian flags and hoisting large pictures of the president are demonstrating across Egypt in support of him.

The Muslim Brotherhood, from which President Mohammed Morsi hails, hopes the turnout at the Saturday rallies will counteract earlier opposition protests. Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets twice this week opposing Morsi's decrees last week to grant himself sweeping powers.

Morsi says he acted to prevent courts led by former regime holdovers from dissolving the assembly and delaying a transition to democracy.

"The people support the president's decision!" chanted crowds outside Cairo University, where several thousand had gathered.

Saturday's rallies also aim to show support for a draft constitution passed by an Islamist-led assembly early Friday.