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(CNN) -- Egyptians swarmed Cairo's Tahrir Square to demand that their first freely elected leader respect their wishes, hoping to revive a democratic groundswell that swept the country's former strongman from power nearly two years ago.
Protesters waved flags and banners, chanted slogans and called on President Mohamed Morsy to roll back last week's decree giving himself expanded presidential powers -- or resign. The crowd included many different Egyptian factions, including Western-style liberals, secularists, moderates and women's rights activists.
"I'm here because this is our country -- all of us," one woman told CNN. It's not just for our president."
But Morsy showed no signs of backing down.
A street vendor grills corn as Egyptian soldiers stand guard at the Presidential Palace on Tuesday, December 18, in Cairo. Protesters opposed to President Mohamed Morsy's first round of voting in the constitutional referendum gather during continuing demonstrations.
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Egypt's Cabinet chief, Mohamed Refa'a al-Tahtawi, said there will be no retreat from the constitutional decree, state-run EGYNews reported. He reportedly stressed the president would not back down because his move was motivated by democratic aims.
There were no official crowd estimates for Tahrir Square. But the square was packed as protesters clogged the roundabout and tents filled the grassy area in the middle. The rally lasted into Wednesday's early hours, with some demonstrators singing and playing drums and guitars while others listened to speeches.
Though the protest was mostly peaceful, at least one demonstrator died in early clashes with authorities ahead of Tuesday night's massive rally, the Ministry of Health said. The opposition Popular Alliance Party said the protester died after inhaling excessive amounts of tear gas, which police used in numerous scuffles with rock-throwing protesters on the side streets leading to the square.
And in the Nile Delta city of Mahalla, police reported dozens of injuries when demonstrators stormed the headquarters of the Muslim Brotherhood, Morsy's political movement, Interior Ministry spokesman Alaa Mahmoud told CNN. Police also used tear gas to break up the melees and made numerous arrests, but the building was destroyed, Mahmoud said.
Ahmed al-Aguizi, a spokesman for the Freedom and Justice Party -- the Brotherhood's political arm -- said the anti-Morsy protesters carried knives, swords, clubs and guns and battled Brotherhood supporters for four hours.
Across the country, 116 people were injured in protests in Cairo and elsewhere, EGYNews reported, citing the Ministry of Health.
Protesters are angry with Morsy for his declaration last week that his edicts are beyond the reach of judges in what critics call an unprecedented power grab. A statement Monday night that appeared to at least partially limit the scope of the decree did not seem to salve their anger.
On Monday, his office clarified the edict, saying it only applied to "sovereign matters." Morsy "did not give himself judicial power" but did provide "immunity for his presidential decisions," said Jihad Haddad, a senior adviser in the Freedom and Justice Party.
Haddad added that "the president himself (is) not immune from judicial oversight," though it wasn't clear in what instances that would come into practice, or if there was anything preventing Morsy from issuing a new decree so this could not happen.
Protesters want to show that "the whole population of Egypt is against" Morsy and his backers, said former Finance Minister Samir Radwan.
Morsy and his Muslim Brotherhood supporters have defended the policy as necessary to defend the fragile Arab Spring revolution that pushed former President Hosni Mubarak from power and led to the country's first free elections. On Tuesday, the Brotherhood's official Twitter feed dismissed the protests as underwhelming and said what it described as a low turnout indicated a "lack of support among Egyptians."
But Egyptian journalist Mona Eltahawy said the crowds have turned out to tell Morsy, "We are your checks and balances."
"We are the people who will keep you honest, right after you grabbed all of this power for yourself that has made you even more powerful than Mubarak, who we got rid of last year," Eltahawy told CNN. "So, the people are there to say, 'We might have elected you as president, but we did not elect a new dictator.'"
Eltahawy said Egypt's judiciary does need to be "cleansed" -- "but the way to help Egypt toward freedom is not by paving it with dictatorship."
The Muslim Brotherhood scrapped its own demonstration to show support for Morsy -- also scheduled for Tuesday -- "to avoid any problems due to tension in the political arena," said spokesman Mahmoud Ghozlan. But the Muslim Brotherhood Twitter feed told opponents to brace for "millions in support of the elected prez."
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Morsy's decree Thursday said that judges can't overturn his decisions or interfere with an Islamist-dominated council writing a new constitution.
He also sacked the nation's top prosecutor.
In addition to outbursts on the street, Egypt's judges have reacted. All but seven of Egypt's 34 courts and 90% of its prosecutors went on strike Monday in protest, said Judge Mohamed al-Zind of the Egyptian Judge's Club. He described Morsy's edict as "the most vicious ... attack on the judicial authority's independence."
Edict divides Egypt, unifies opponents
Morsy insists he's trying to protect Egypt's fragile Arab Spring revolution, not accumulate unchecked power. His moves "cemented the process that would create the institutions that would limit his power, define the constitution and have parliamentary elections so that we can say this is a democracy," said Haddad.
Senior presidential aide Essam El-Erian called concerns about Morsy's edict overblown, blaming the protests on "counterrevolutionary forces" loyal to Mubarak's party. Polls show "an overwhelming majority supporting President Morsy and his decisions," Haddad said Monday.
Analysis: Morsy makes his move
But that's not how his political foes -- seen as "heretics" by many members of the Muslim Brotherhood, according to Washington Institute for Near East Policy fellow Eric Trager -- look at the situation.
Amr Hamzawy, who'd been in the now-dissolved parliament, said action is needed to prevent more "suffering" under a president with "sweeping powers," as Egypt had for 60 years under men like Mubarak, Anwar Sadat and Gamal Nasser.
"Morsy is the ... president who has sweeping executive (power), sweeping legislative (power) and ... puts himself above the judicial branch of government," said Hamzawy, founder of Egypt's Freedom Party. "That is a very dangerous mix, which can only lead to a dictatorship."
The rest of the world is watching, too.
Former U.S. diplomat Jamie Rubin said Morsy's edict "brings to mind all the fears that people in that part of the world have had about the Muslim Brotherhood when it comes to democracy."
Morsy to meet with top judicial body
The unrest raises new concerns about stability in Egypt, which has gone through two years of protests and turmoil.
"The majority of the people are really suffering, and they were looking forward to some stability," said Radwan, the former finance minister, who served under Mubarak as well as in the government that followed him. "I'm afraid that this constitutional declaration has blown it up."
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CNN's Reza Sayah and journalists Ian Lee and Mohamed Fadel Fahmy reported from Cairo. CNN's Michael Pearson, Greg Botelho and Jason Hanna contributed to this report in Atlanta.
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Protesters chant slogans during a demonstration at the Presidential Palace on December 18 in Cairo.
An Egyptian woman types on her laptop before the start of a demonstration opposing President Mohamed Morsy on December 18 in Cairo.
People make their way through a market place on Monday, December 17, in Cairo.
A supporter of Egypt's President Mohamed Morsy and the Muslim Brotherhood holds Quran as he shouts during a demonstration in Cairo on Friday, December 14.
Women pray during a demonstration in support of President Mohamed Morsy in Cairo on December 14.
Egyptian army tanks are deployed outside the presidential palace in Cairo on Thursday, December 13. Egypt's crisis showed no sign of easing as the army delayed unity talks meant to ease political divisions and the opposition set near-impossible demands for taking part in a looming constitutional referendum.
Girls walk with Egypt's national flag draped over their backs to a rally for supporters of President Mohamed Morsy in Cairo on Tuesday, December 11.
Protesters on December 11 attempt to bring down cement walls that security forces placed around the presidential palace in Cairo.
Security forces stand guard in front of the presidential palace in Cairo on December 11.
Protesters opposed to Egypt's president demonstrate on top of a barricade erected by the Egyptian army to protect the presidential palace in Cairo on December 11.
A young protester climbs atop a barricade erected by the Egyptian army on December 11. There were no incidents of violence and soldiers held the line as a couple of hundred protesters pressed up against waist-high crowd barriers.
Protesters remove part of a metal barrier protecting the presidential palace on December 11.
Egyptian army troops stand guard in front of a metal barricade on December 11.
An Egyptian army soldier patrols outside the Egyptian presidential palace on Monday, December 10, in Cairo. The Egyptian political crisis erupted last month when President Mohamed Morsy issued an edict allowing himself to run the country unchecked until the drafting of a new constitution.
Members of the Egyptian opposition gather for a protest outside the presidential palace on Sunday, December 9, in Cairo. The palace has been the scene of violent clashes pitting thousands of protesters -- for and against Morsy.
Guy Fawkes masks are displayed by a street vendor in front of the Egyptian presidential palace in Cairo on December 9. The masks depict Fawkes, a rebel executed in England's Gunpowder Plot seeking to blow up the House of Lords in the early 1600s.
Egyptian army engineers and soldiers build a third line of concrete blocks outside of the Egyptian presidential palace in Cairo in preparation for more protests on December 9.
An Egyptian protester sweeps the street near army tanks deployed outside the presidential palace in Cairo on December 8, after continued protests overnight.
A sticker depicting Egyptian President Mohamed Morsy reads "leave" on the ground near the presidential palace on December 8.
Egyptian soldiers take position on a road leading to the presidential palace on December 8.
A protester tries to climb over a barbed-wire fence as Egyptian soldiers stand guard during a demonstration near the presidential palace in Cairo on Friday, December 7.
Supporters of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsy and members of the Muslim Brotherhood shout during the funerals of fellow Morsy supporters at Al-Azhar mosque in Cairo on December 7.
Protesters angry over Morsy's decisions giving himself unchecked powers surround the Muslim Brotherhood's headquarters in Cairo after starting a fire inside the compound on Thursday, December 6.
Riot police form a line as anti-Morsy protesters surge around the Muslim Brotherhood's headquarters in Cairo on December 6.
An anti-Morsy protester shouts during a march to the presidential palace in Cairo, Egypt, on December 6.
Protesters are blocked from approaching the the presidential palace by the Egyptian army on December 6 in Cairo.
Egyptian soldiers stand outside the presidential palace in Cairo after setting up barbed wire barricades on December 6.
Supporters of Morsy clash with anti-Morsy protesters outside the Egyptian presidential palace on Wednesday, December 5, in Cairo.
Members of the Muslim Brotherhood and Morsy supporters destroy tents of anti-Morsy protesters outside the presidential palace on December 5.
Morsy supporters carry an injured man to safety during clashes with anti-Morsy demonstrators on a road leading to the Egyptian presidential palace on December 5.
Members of the Muslim Brotherhood and supporters of Morsy clash with anti-Morsy demonstrators on a road leading to the Egyptian presidential palace on December 5.
Egyptian riot police stand behind barbwire as thousands of Egyptian demonstrators march to the presidential palace in Cairo, Egypt, on Tuesday, December 4.
Tens of thousands of demonstrators encircled the presidential palace in Cairo after riot police failed to keep them at bay with tear gas on December 4.
An Egyptian woman waves a national flag as demonstrators march to the presidential palace in Cairo on December 4.
A Morsy supporter waves a flag outside the Supreme Constitutional Court as hundreds of supporters of the president protest on Sunday, December 2, in Cairo, forcing judges to postpone a hearing on a constitutional panel at the heart of a deepening political crisis.
Supporters of Morsy pray outside the Supreme Constitutional Court on December 2.
A man kisses a portrait of Morsy during a gathering of thousands of Islamists in front of Cairo University on Saturday, December 1.
Thousands pray during a rally in support of Morsy in front of Cairo University on December 1.
An Egyptian man delivers a speech as protesters gather in Cairo's Tahrir Square on Friday, November 30.
A man shouts as protesters gather in Tahrir Square on November 30.
A man holds a copy of the Quran and a cross in Tahrir Square on November 30.
Protesters run from Egyptian riot police during clashes near Cairo's Tahrir Square on Wednesday, November 28.
A protester carries a rock during clashes with police on Wednesday.
Egyptians carry a giant national flag as tens of thousands take part in a mass rally in Cairo on Tuesday, November 27, against a decree by President Mohamed Morsy granting himself broad powers.
An Egyptian protester holds up a Quran and a figure of Christ on the cross during Tuesday's demonstration.
Protesters continue to rally in Tahrir Square on Tuesday.
An Egyptian protester attempts to throw back a tear gas canister on Tuesday during clashes with riot police in Omar Makram Street, off Tahrir Square.
Activists in Cairo's Tahrir Square on Monday, November 26, carry the coffin of Gaber Salah, an activist who died overnight after he was critically injured in clashes in Cairo. Salah, a member of the April 6 movement known by his nickname "Jika," was injured last week during confrontations between police and protesters on Cairo's Mohammed Mahmud street.
Thousands of activists attend the funeral of Gaber Salah on Monday.
Protesters clash with Egyptian police at Simon Bolivar Square on Sunday, November 25, in Cairo. Egypt's powerful Muslim Brotherhood called nationwide demonstrations in support of Islamist President Mohamed Morsy in his showdown with the judges over the path to a new constitution.
Egyptian protesters hurl stones at police at Tahrir Square on Sunday.
Protesters gather at sit-in tents in Tahrir Square on Sunday.
Egyptian President Mohamed Morsy waves to supporters in front of the presidential palace in Cairo on Friday, November 23. Thousands of ecstatic supporters gathered outside the presidential palace to defend their leader against accusations from rival protesters that he has become a dictator.
Morsy supporters gather outside the presidential palace in Cairo on Friday. Morsy insisted that Egypt was on the path to "freedom and democracy," as protesters held rival rallies over sweeping powers he assumed that further polarized the country's political forces.
Protesters demonstrating against Morsy run from tear gas fired by Egyptian riot police during clashes in Cairo's Tahrir Square on Friday.
Egyptian protesters throw rocks toward riot police on Friday
Egyptian supporters and opponents of Morsy clash in the coastal city of Alexandria on Friday.
A man throws a rock during clashes in Alexandria on Friday.
Thousands of demonstrators march through the streets of Cairo to protest against Morsy on Friday.
Clashes rocked the coastal city of Alexandria on Friday.
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