By Marwa Al-A’asar
CAIRO: Tens of thousands of Egyptians protested nationwide following Friday prayers parallel to a major demonstration in Cairo’s Tahrir Square dubbed “The Final Warning.”
Mass protests were mainly held in Suez, Alexandria, Sharm El-Sheikh and Al-Arish. Demonstrations and sit-ins broke out in other parts of the country including Upper Egypt, El-Gharbiya, El-Dakahlia, Port Said and Ismalia.
In Suez, thousands marched from the main mosques towards El-Arbaein Square, named by citizens the Martyrs Square.
Protesters represented an array of backgrounds and political groups, including the families of the martyrs and those injured during the first days of the January 25 uprising.
“The numbers today are lower that other Fridays due to the decision of Islamist groups not to join us today,” official spokesman of the Suez Youth Coalition Medhat Eissa told Daily News Egypt.
The protesters demanded justice for the victims, accusing the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) of violating their rights. They vowed to continue the sit-ins and protests held since July 4.
On that day, seven police officers accused of using live ammunition against peaceful protesters, including the former police directorate chief and his deputy, were released on bail. The trial was adjourned to September. Another seven officers are being tried in absentia.
The court order stirred the outrage of citizens, hundreds of whom began open sits-in and protests in El-Arbaein Square, near the Suez Canal waterway and control office in Port Tawfik and outside the local municipality building.
The demonstrators also called for cleansing the state media, the judiciary and the interior ministry.
Others requested sacking the Suez attorney general who allegedly ignored complaints against 41 officers and low-ranking policemen accused of shooting protesters and implicated in corruption cases.
The protesters further denounced police brutality that continues until today. Four demonstrators who held a hunger strike outside the local municipality building claimed they were subjected to torture inside a police station in the early hours of Thursday.
The protesters decided to continue the open sit-in in El-Arbaein, while dozens others maintained the hunger strike in front of the local municipality.
“We will remain in the square until all our demands are met and the revolution gets back on the right track … and we may resort to escalation measure like civil disobedience in cooperation with trade unions,” Eissa said.
El-Arbaein witnessed the murder of the first protester shot on the night of Jan. 25. Official reports said that 29 were killed and 1,000 others injured in Suez during clashes with security during the first days of the uprising.
Alexandria
In another development, thousands joined marches that took off from El-Qaed Ibrahim Mosque in the square carrying the same name and Saad Zaghloul square in downtown Alexandria and other parts of the city.
All protesters finally joined forces outside the police directorate building in Somouha district on the outskirts of the city.
“Here are the thugs,” protesters chanted in front of the building, referring to the policemen. “Blood, blood, revenge, revenge,” they shouted.
A couple of demonstrators climbed the mast outside the building, and set the interior ministry’s flag on fire and replaced it with an Egyptian flag.
The demonstrators reiterated the same demands made by protesters all over Egypt.
“We also object to the new police directorate chief who took office two days ago as he is known for carrying out violations against protesters and activists in Alexandria,” activist Ahmed Mekkawy told DNE.
“That was the main target behind gathering outside the police directorate building,” he added.
The protesters further denounced the recent statements of Minister of Interior Mansour El-Essawy, denying that snipers who shot protesters during the uprising belonged to the police.
Snipers shot live ammunition at protesters during the uprising, some reportedly fired from the roof and windows of the interior ministry building in downtown Cairo, according to the official fact-finding mission. Judge Omar Marwan, the mission’s secretary general, said last April the snipers were officers from the anti-terrorism department.
Hundreds deiced to continue the open sit-in inside Saad Zaghloul Square held since last Friday, refusing to leave even after the recent concessions made by SCAF and promises of an imminent cabinet reshuffle.
Sharm El-Sheikh
In a related development, dozens gathered in front of El-Moustafa Mosque in Sharm El-Sheikh before they marched to Sharm El-Sheikh International Hospital where ousted president Hosni Mubarak is detained pending trial in August.
“The mother of a martyr is calling: I want my rights and those of my children,” they chanted.
Bedouins eventually joined the protesters in the Red Sea resort town to surround the hospital.
Coordinator of the Revolution Protectors in South Sinia Saleh Yassin called for removing Mubarak from the city and sending him to the Tora Prison hospital in Cairo. He warned against possible escalations if SCAF and the government kept procrastinating in moving him out of the city.
Tourism workers have always complained of the negative impact of Mubarak’s presence in the city, claiming that it has resulted in severe economic losses.
Al-Arish
In the North Sinai capital of Al-Arish, about 5,000 gathered outside El-Refa’y Mosque in El-Horriya Square.
Several political forces and parties took part in the demonstration including the Sinai Revolutionaries and the Revolution Protection Committee in Al-Arish, releasing a statement that warned against a setback to the revolution.
Official spokesman of the Revolution Protection Committee Mohamed Ebeid Ayish said remnants of the disbanded National Democratic Party (NDP) are now members in the local North Sinai Council and pose a threat to the revolution.
Some protesters carried banners saying “the final warning and the final Friday.” Others called it the “Friday of cleansing the remnants of the former corrupt NDP.”
The demonstrators called for forming a temporary local council to serve the community and put an end to the political presence of members of the ex-ruling party. They also called for overthrowing the interim military rulers.
“We are not satisfied with military rule,” protesters collectively said. “Trial, trial, the gang is still ruling,” they shouted.
Meanwhile, joint army-police forces in Al-Arish arrested a French national along with an Egyptian interpreter. The French woman was seen taking pictures of the protest and speaking to protesters.
A security source said she is a nurse, though she introduced herself during interrogations as an activist. The two are currently held in custody pending further investigation.
Earlier on Monday, army forces detained three US nationals and an Egyptian interpreter after they took photographs in a restricted zone in Suez. They are currently being interrogated by the intelligence agency. –Hatem Buluk in Al-Arish and Yehia Nasser in Sharm El-Sheikh contributed to this report.
