Thousands of people from across the political spectrum have been protesting in Asyut Friday, having set up tents and a podium in the Omar Makram district near Asyut University, with intention of staging a sit-in. After the Fridayprayers people gathered at El-Hilali and Omar Makram mosques, as well as thegrand mosque, and marched throughthe streets of the city. Protesters chanted against Field Marshal and de-facto ruler Huessien Tantawi and Minister of interior Mansour El-Essawi. “Tantawi please tell [military council chief of staff Sami] Anan that the revolutionaries have gone back to the square,” was one of the chants. Another was: “Mr. Essawi, what have the martyrs' families done?”adding that retribution has yet to be achieved. The demonstratorsalso called for an increase in minimum wage to achieve social justice and the resignation of the seven ministers thatPrime Minister Essam Sharaf had allegedly wanted dropped from the cabinet.
