The turnout for Friday's protest demanding a timetable for the handover of power to a civilian administration was low, reports Mohamed Abdel-Baky Hundreds of protesters gathered in Tahrir Square on Friday -- the day of "Defending the Revolution" -- to demand the military hand power to an elected civilian authority. Though they chanted against a gamut of Supreme Council of the Armed Forces' (SCAF) polices in the last eight months the main demands, says the Youth Revolution Collation (YRC), are to press the SCAF into announcing a clear timetable for the handover of power to an elected civilian authority and to enact legislation that would ban former members of the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) from standing in parliamentary elections. The Friday sermon was given by Sheikh Mazhar Shahin who called on the authorities to ensure that those guilty of crimes under the regime of ousted president Hosni Mubarak are called to account. During the revolution, said Shahin, hundreds of peaceful protesters were killed. The smell of the blood of the martyrs, both Muslims and Christians, he said, remained in the square. Justice demanded that those responsible for their murder be prosecuted. "Eight months after Mubarak stepped down it is clear that the military council and the government are unable to achieve the goals of the revolution," said a statement posted on Facebook. "They are incapable of bringing justice to the martyrs. The country cannot tolerate this situation continuing until mid- 2013, when the military council has said it will hand over power." The statement demanded that presidential elections be held in early May. More than 14 youth movements and political parties participated in the protest, including 6 April Youth Movement, YRC, Youth for Freedom and Justice, the National Association for Change (NAC), the Egyptian Communist Party and the Karama Party. Sheikh Hazem Salah Abu Ismail, a Salafi presidential hopeful, participated in the protest, calling on the SCAF to protect the revolution. "We came here today to tell the SCAF they can no longer ignore the demands of the revolution. It is time for a clear timetable for the transition and a fixed date for when the military leaves power," Abu Ismail said in a speech before hundreds of supporters bussed in from Nasr City. He added that there can be no excuse for delaying parliamentary elections, due to begin on 28 November. Protesters also demanded justice for Essam Atta, the 24-year-old man who died on Thursday after being tortured by prison guards. Atta, a civilian, was serving a two-year sentence in Tora Prison after a military court found him guilty of illegally occupying an apartment. An autopsy revealed that Atta died of internal bleeding after hose pipes were forced into his mouth and anus. Protesters carried Atta's body through Tahrir Square to Omar Makram Mosque for his funeral. Two stages were erected in the square, one occupied by Abu Ismail and his supporters, the second stage by the YRC and other youth movements. Many activists were disappointed by the turnout, arguing that Egyptians should not lose the "revolutionary spirit" that forced Mubarak to step down in February. YRC member Tarek El-Kholi said Friday's protest was to show the military that Islamists, liberals and socialists were united in demanding the SCAF relinquish power. "There is no room for manipulation. Egypt's revolution is at a critical stage. There needs to be a roadmap with a timetable for transition." The YRC are planning a mass protest on 18 November, the start of an open- ended sit-in in Tahrir and other city squares across Egypt that they say will end only when the military announces a timetable for the handing over of power. YRC members say they are still in negotiations with political forces about taking part in the protests. Presidential candidate Mohamed Selim El-Awwa has already said his supporters will not take part in the demonstration, scheduled 10 days before the beginning of parliamentary elections. The Muslim Brotherhood and Al-Gamaa Al-Islamiya
