Mohamed Abdel-Baky reports on last week's pro- and anti-SCAF demonstrations Thousands of protesters gathered in Tahrir Square last Friday to protest at the military's use of force against protesters a week earlier which left 17 dead and hundreds injured. On the same day a much smaller crowd gathered in Abbasiya Square in support of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF). "We are back to square one, with protests for and against the authority," says political scientist Hassan Nafaa. "We have been led to such straits by the mistakes made by the military and many political forces." Egyptians, argues Nafaa, must unite to end the transition as soon as possible and halt the growing polarisation of political forces. On Friday in Tahrir demonstrators held symbolic funerals for dead protesters, carrying empty coffins covered with Egyptian flags and chanting slogans against the Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi. They called on the military to hand power to a civilian authority and hold presidential elections as soon as possible. "Our women are a red line. Protecting their dignity means protecting Egypt's honour which SCAF has failed to do," chanted thousands of protesters. "Tantawi must go, enough is enough." Marches converged on the square from several districts following Friday prayers. One came from Al-Azhar Mosque to commemorate Sheikh Emad Effat who was shot dead in the Qasr Al-Aini clashes. Another two came from Cairo and Ain Shams universities in solclashes. In Tahrir chants were raised not only against the military but against the Muslim Brotherhood and Salafi parties that refused to join in the demonstration. idarity with two university students murdered in the same confrontation. "Families join us, our dignity is harassed by the military which uses your money to buy weapons to kill your children," the protesters chanted. Other marches arrived dedicated to homeless children and to doctors killed in the recent violent "You abandoned your principles for a seat in parliament. This shows how the Muslim Brotherhood will act when they rule the country," read a banner in the centre of the square. A majority of liberal and leftist parties and youth movements participated in the protest, including the Egyptian Bloc, the New Ghad Party, the 6 April Youth Movement, Kifaya, Youth for Freedom and Justice and the Youth Revolution Coalition. Members of some Islamist groupings -- Wasat, Tayyar Al-Masry, Al-Nahda, Sufi orders and even the Nour -- were present. "I think the Muslim Brotherhood's decision not to participate in the protest is immoral. Islam urges us to protect the honour of all women," said Mohamed Habib, former deputy chairman of the Muslim Brotherhood and a leader of the newly formed Al-Nahda Islamist party. Habib added that the Muslim Brotherhood and Salafis will see their support eroded if they fail to stand up for basic human rights. In rival Abbasiya the smaller crowd chanted "the real killers of the 17 protesters are you", referring to the political forces and youth movements that organised the Tahrir protest. They also singled out possible presidential candidate Mohamed El-Baradei and newly elected liberal MP Amr Hamzawy for insults. "El-Baradei is the enemy of Islam," they shouted. "El-Baradei and Hamzawy are foreign agents." In response to the Abbasiya protest some local residents began a Facebook page, "The People of Abbasiya", to voice support for the Tahrir demonstrators. The group then held their own march on Monday in Abbasiya carrying banners announcing their opposition to "military violence against our women". In Alexandria on Friday thousands of protesters joined an anti-SCAF rally carrying posters with photographs of the protesters killed in the recent clashes. There were also demonstrations in Suez, Assiut and several other provincial towns.
