Some 50,000 protesters gathered on Friday in Tahrir Square in the Egyptian capital of Cairo to take part in rallies against military rule called “Friday of One Demand,” a RIA Novosti correspondent reported.
The protest, also dubbed “Friday of Protecting Democracy,” is one of the largest in the past few months. Demonstrators are calling on the military government to transfer power to an elected civilian cabinet.
The reason for the protest was a document on “supra-constitutional principles” recently presented to political parties by Deputy Prime Minister Ali al-Silmi. The document would shield the armed forces from public scrutiny.
Nine months after the ousting of President Hosni Mubarak, Egypt continues to be ruled by a military government unwelcomed by much of the population. The date for transfer of power to a civilian cabinet has not yet been set.
