Dozens of activists on Tuesday demonstrated in Tahrir Square to call on Egypt's ruling military council to fulfill the demands of the 25 January revolution. Members of the April 6 Youth Movement and Mohamed ElBaradei's presidential campaign called for punishing those accused of killing protesters during the revolution and a firmer stance toward Israel after Israeli forces killed five Egyptian officers at the border. Meanwhile, presidential hopeful Ayman Nour visited Tahrir and talked with the protesters about the current developments in Egypt. Supporters of ElBaradei and Islamist presidential hopeful Mohamed Selim al-Awa distributed leaflets containing information about each. Bloggers and members of the April 6 Youth Movement tore down a large sign that read, "The Egyptian army gave a pledge and honored it." They replaced it with another that read, "The people demand the rights of the martyrs in Sinai," a reference to the five officers killed by the Israeli helicopter earlier this month. Several protesters also called for joining the demonstrators at the Israeli Embassy who are demanding the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador and the review of the peace agreement signed with Israel, particularly the terms concerning the number of Egyptian troops in Sinai. The military maintained a strong presence in Tahrir to keep the square open for traffic after Eid prayers. Several families of protesters killed in the revolution later joined a march that called for speedy trials of the officers accused of killing of their relatives. Members of Jama'a al-Islamiya held banners with Eid greetings to the Egyptian people. The protests followed the Eid prayers in Tahrir despite a strong military and police presence. Central Security Forces have been deployed in Tahrir Square following the forced dismantlement of a sit-in that started on 8 July to demand justice for the families of the revolution's martyrs. Mazhar Shaheen, the imam of Omar Makram Mosque, gave a revolutionary sermon hailing the 25 January revolution and the Arab Spring. Shaheen began his sermon by chanting, “ God is great! Mubarak has fallen, Ben Ali has fallen, Qadhafi has fallen. … God is great! We have liberated ourselves,” he said. “Saleh, Bashar and all the arrogant titans will fall.” The crowds cheered when Shaheen said, “The coming president should know that Egyptians are a proud nation who will never bow to oppression.” Shaheen also said that Egyptians insist on continuing their revolution until all their demands have been achieved. He urged Egyptians to work so that Egypt does not need US assistance and can make its decisions freely. He also leveled harsh criticism at Israel, saying it should show commitment to its agreements. He added that the military should be aware that all Egyptians are waiting for its response to the killing of Egyptians in Sinai. Translated from the Arabic Edition
