Egypt's Tahrir protesters demand a new budget, call for a million man march on Tuesday

Ahram Online, Sunday 10 Jul 2011

A new budget stipulating a fair minimum wage and the prompt trial of all policemen accused of involvement in the murder of protesters are among demands announced Sunday in Tahrir

Tahrir square
A protester chants a national song in Tahrir square in Cairo (Photo: Reuters)

At a press conference now being held in Tahrir Square, Kamal Abu Eita, the spokesman of the Independent Federation of Trade Unions, read a statement from the federation demanding a new Egyptian budget with fair minimum wages.

Further demands include an end to military trials for civilians and the swift trying of policemen accused of killing protesters in the first days of the revolution.

After the demands were read, the protesters chanted "the people demand the trial of corruption."

As speakers continue, a demo of about 700 Salafists approached the square calling for the immediate release of Omar Abdel Rahman, the blind Egyptian shiekh detained in the USA serving a life sentence for his role in the 1993 World Trade Center's bombings.

According to Ahram Online's correspondent in the square, the protesters are still maintaining the closure of the Mogamma building with some of its employees participating in the sit-in in solidarity with the demands of the protesters.

Meanwhile, the protesters decided to freeze a call for beginning a hunger strike and are instead calling for a million man march to the Egyptian Cabinet Tuesday evening.

Short link: