Egyptian protesters walk during a demonstration from Tahrir square to the People's Assembly building in Cairo July 12, 2011. Thousands of Egyptians packed city centres across the country since Friday to demand faster reforms and voice frustration at what they regard as foot-dragging by military rulers and government officials. (photo by REUTERS)
Following clashes Friday evening and a military council statement issued Saturday blaming the 6 April Movement, more than 28 political groups insist that a demonstration called for Saturday, to march from Tahrir Square — where a sit-in has been ongoing for two weeks — to the SCAF headquarters, will go ahead.
The demonstration was already called for before the violent events of Friday evening, planned to take place on Saturday at 4pm. However, the statements made by the military council blaming the 6 April Movement, one of the main groups of the January 25 Revolution movement, for strife between the military and the people has galvanised calls for the planned march to go ahead.
The demonstration initially intended to protest the SCAF’s irresponsiveness to the demands of the Tahrir Square sit-in. After the SCAF released its statement blaming the 6 April Movement for strife, the call has been extended to condemning the accusative tone of the military council and what has been described as a plan to discredit and divide Egypt’s political movement.
The SCAF statement came after thousands had attempted to march from Tahrir to the military council’s headquarters, leading to clashes when the military police intervened to stop the march. A number of inhabitants of the Abbasyia district, where the march was heading, also clashed with demonstrators.
The 6 April Movement denied involvement in the demonstration. Although several political groups have been calling for a similar march to take place Saturday, none called for the one staged Friday evening. Nor has any political group declared that it was involved in the march, which appears to have started spontaneously in Tahrir Square.
Following SCAF’s statement against the 6 April Movement, more than 28 political groups adopted the call already released before for a march on the military council headquarters. The demonstration previously intended to protest in the name of the unmet demands of the revolution. Now the march will also protest the tone and content of SCAF’s accusations against the 6 April Movement.
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