CAIRO: The Muslim Brotherhood, the largest organized opposition group in Egypt, announced on Wednesday that it would partake in the mass protests being held on Friday. Activists have been planning this protest for weeks, convinced that they should continue to apply pressure for faster reforms and the just punishment of former Hosni Mubarak government officials. Activists have been provoked to protests due to alarming recent events, such as police brutality exerted on peaceful demonstrators, court verdicts that acquitted three officials of the ousted regime from misusing public funds, and the release of police officers that are believed to have killed protesters. Although Friday demonstrations have become common place, the Muslim Brotherhood has not been officially participating. On the contrary, the Muslim Brotherhood openly criticized the continuation of sit-ins during March and April. Infuriating many top activists, the Muslim brotherhood called these demonstrators “thugs”. The main point of contention was that the activists were pushing the military council to delay the parliamentary elections scheduled for September, in order to give nascent political parties more time to organize. Yet, the Muslim Brotherhood did not agree with delaying the elections. In a referendum in March, 77 percent of voters backed the constitutional amendments that would allow the military council to hold parliamentary elections in September. The protesters have dropped their demand to delay their election, believing it more important to focus on the need to have just court trials and more effective reforms. The expected presence of the Muslim Brotherhood can surely heighten the pressure exerted onto the ruling military council and bolster the demographics of participation. BM
