Egyptians plan to return to Cairo’s Tahrir square on Friday in a “million man protest” billed as “Correcting the Path” of the revolution by pushing for an end to military trials of civilians and a reform of the election law they say was introduced by the dissolved former ruling National Democratic Party (NDP).
Friday’s protest was called for by various political movements and the coalition of the youth revolution that helped oust former president Hosni Mubarak from power in February.
Islamists, including the political party set up by the Muslim Brotherhood – Egypt’s best organized political force after the dissolution of Mubarak’s NDP – have distanced themselves from the planned protests.
Egyptian interior ministry officials removed police patrols from the square late on Thursday for 24 hours. The ruling military council said it would allow peaceful protests, but added that it would not tolerate assault on any public facilities.
Activists say more than 30 groups and political parties plan to attend the protest.
The Democratic Front party, set up by activists who ousted Mubarak after the uprising, said it will demand that Egypt’s military rulers prepare a “comprehensive timetable that will spell out the steps for the interim period, starting with the presidential elections”.
Presidential hopeful Mohammed ElBaradei, former head of the international atomic watchdog the IAEA, said Egyptians were entitled to demonstrate peacefully, especially since many of their demands have yet to be realized.
But Mohamed Saad el-Katatni, secretary-general of the Freedom and Justice Party set up by the Muslim Brotherhood to contest parliamentary elections scheduled for November, suggested it was not yet time for further demonstrations because previous protests had already brought some results.
“In case they are not achieved, then we return to the square,” he said.
Source: Al Arabiya