Thousands of protesters rallied across Egypt on Friday, capping a week of nationwide sit-ins to demand political change as anger grows with the military rulers over the slow pace of reform.
More than 28 movements called for the rallies to pressure the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) — which took power when president Hosni Mubarak was toppled – to respond to their demands.
In Cairo, thousands of demonstrators crowded into Tahrir Square, the epicentre of the protest movement that overthrew Mubarak in February and where hundreds have been staging a sit-in for a week.
A preacher who gave the sermon at the Friday noon prayer in the square called for speedy trials of policemen responsible for the deaths of protesters during the 18-day revolt and led a funeral prayer for them, the official MENA news agency reported. The protesters, who have dubbed the rallies as the “Friday of the Final Warning,” are calling for a defined and transparent plan for the transition, criticising the military junta for their absolute grip on power.
The cabinet said it had sent ambulances and medics to the square to tend to protesters on hunger strike.
Among the key demands are an end to military trials of civilians, the redistribution of wealth and the open and speedy trials of former regime officials.
