CAIRO: Egyptian protesters currently camped out in Cairo's Tahrir Square are battling back against waning public support for their continued action. They said that as a result of their pressure, the Egyptian interim government has begun to acquiesce to their demands, which has given them more strength in continuing the sit-in that has practically shut down the center of the city. On Sunday, Bikya Masr reported the growing antagonism and frustration toward the protesters, but the protesters were quick to develop a number of demands that they hope will help continue the widespread support they had garnered during the 18 days of protests that ousted President Hosni Mubarak on February 11. According to a report published by Ahram Online, two separate statements were issued by groups participating in the Tahrir demonstrations. The first statement listed 6 demands: 1. The public trial of all officers involved in the killing of the martyrs of the Egyptian Revolution. 2. Quick and public trial of the Mubarak family and the symbols of corruption of the former regime. 3. Annulment of all rulings by military courts against civilians and referring them civil courts and bringing a complete end military trials of civilians. 4. Revoking the anti-strikes and anti-demonstrations law. 5. Limiting the authorities of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces and increasing the authorities of the government in applying its policies, including its right to reshuffle ministers and governors. 6. Repealing the new state budget and drawing up a new budget favoring the poor, and following a public debate. The second statement was more detailed, delving into a number of issues that have been the focal point of ongoing demonstrations in Cairo's central square. 1. Ending the military trial of civilians and referring all those tried by military tribunals to civil courts. 2. Revoking the anti-strike law, the new party law and the new parliamentary law as going against the revolution's demands. 3. Dedicating special courts to the trial of those responsible for the killing of the martyrs of the revolution, and for cases of economic and political corruption and for the trial of the Mubarak family and its regime. 4. Giving martyrs' families and the injured their full rights. 5. Recovering all the nation's stolen money inside and outside the country. 6. Appointing a civil minister of interior. 7. Restructuring the Ministry of Interior, firing and trying police officers involved in torture, and establishing full judicial supervision over the ministry. 8. Dismantling Egypt's General Workers Union for being a tool of the former ruling National Democratic Party (NDP). 9. Setting a new state budget that included a LE1200 minimum wage, a maximum wage that does not exceed 15 times the minimum wage, and linking wages with prices. 10. Cleansing the Council of Ministers and all state institutions, including its media and banks, of corrupt former regime figures. 11. Banning former NDP members from running for election for two consecutive parliamentary rounds. It all comes as activists in Egypt have called for a second “million person march” in less than one week. They hope that hundreds of thousands of Egyptians will not go to work on Tuesday and join in their calls for quicker reform and the ending of military trials for civilians. BM
