Cairo's Tahrir Square in November, 2012. Photo: Wikipedia.

After a long night, with 14 protesters dead and hundreds injured, Egyptians celebrated a “second revolution” on Thursday, as the chief justice of the Supreme Constitutional Court was named interim president in Cairo, Israeli and Egyptian newspapers reported.

Israel’s Channel 10 said a fire fight broke out among supporters and opponents of ousted Egyptian President Morsi outside a Cairo mosque, according to the Muslim Brotherhood, in a tense night where hundreds were injured.

Despite the violence, most Egyptians were pleased with the outcome. Egyptian journalist Munir Mohmud, speaking on Channel 10, said: “We all hope this marks a new beginning for Egypt, like the day after February 11, 2011,” referring to the date Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak stepped down. “This has been two and half years that should never have been in the history of Egypt.”

Egypt’s Al-Ahram newspaper reported that Mohamed Morsi was  removed from office by the Army after refusing to seek asylum in Yemen, Qatar, or Turkey, or retire from office voluntarily.

Upon his removal, in a short ceremony in an Egyptian courtroom, Adlai Mansour, chief justice of the Supreme Constitutional Court, was named interim president of the country.

At the ceremony, the new president said: “I swear to keep Egypt and the Egyptian Constitution,” Israel’s Channel 2 reported.

An hour later, speaking to a thunderous crowd, President Mansour said: “I swear by God that I stay faithful, respect the law, I’ll see to the interests of the people, defend the independence of this country and its territories… I would gladly accept and respect the duty to serve as president for the transitional period, to serve this great nation, the Egyptian nation. I’ll take upon myself to fix the mistakes made in the previous revolution.”

Mansour said Morsi was removed from office because he strayed from the tenets of the revolution: “It was a real need, it was not the craziness of one person, the need to preserve the values “‹”‹of the revolution. We want to maintain and restore the values “‹”‹of the revolution. We want to renew the commitment to all people, to the poor. Do not let people roll into slavery. We want people to live in dignity. The values “‹”‹of the revolution will continue from generation to generation and we will act according to the values “‹”‹of the revolution.”

He said that all Egyptian citizens are equal and no one area was favored over another: “Everyone should protect the values “‹”‹of the revolution today and the future… We have to prepare for parliamentary elections. Fair elections, free, democratic, just, transparent, that we will realize the will of the people.”

The new president also spoke highly of the role of Egypt’s Army in removing his predecessor: “Security forces have always been the soul of this nation, are always ready to serve the interests of the people and this nation. Egyptian people will not accept to limit their independence. Forces are ready to sacrifice their lives, to stand with the crowd , worrying about their safety.”

As for the party that brought Morsi to power, Mansour was also conciliatory: “The Muslim Brotherhood are part of the Egyptian nation. I urge them to participate in nation building.”