ALEXANDRIA: Thousands of demonstrators from an array of political parties, movements and youth groups turned out in Alexandria on Friday in order to voice a litany of demands they claim have not been adequately met by the ruling military council. Participants convened at the Qaed Ibrahim mosque just after Friday prayers before marching several kilometers to Midan el-Sheikh, where a stage was setup to rally a crowd of roughly 5,000 in front of the American Egyptian Academy, where the military stood idly by. The demonstration, part of a larger nationally coordinated protest dubbed “Correcting the Path,” was unified by a set of core demands: the need for a clearly delineated timetable by which the military will hand power to civilian authority, the amending of the recently announced parliamentary electoral law, the ending of military trials for civilians, and the implementation of a socially just minimum and maximum wage. Beyond these demands, the demonstration itself was marked by an atmosphere of triumphalism over the ruling military council. At several points during the day, the dominant rallying cries turned to the theme of no longer being afraid to voice the popular discontent building over the past few months. Shortly after the final procession of marchers had reached Midan el-Sheikh, the main speaker on stage signaled for the crowd to point at military troops stationed just beyond the rally, urging the demonstrators to chant “we are no longer afraid of the army.” Throughout the day demonstrators looking to energize the crowd continuously returned to calls demanding the fall of the military – and Field Marshal Tantawi in particular – at one point chanting, “You are with Tantawi, or you are with us.” A widely distributed flyer at the event noting several of the political groups officially participating listed the Party of the Popular Socialist Coalition, the Egyptian Socialist Party, the Communist Party, The Popular Democratic Movement, the Democratic Socialist Movement, the Youth Movement for Justice and Freedom, the April 6 Movement and the Democratic Front. Members of the Wafd party as well as campaigners for Mohamed ElBaradei were also in attendance, among others. In addition, a large contingent of Ultra soccer fans, most notably the Ultras Ahlawy, were in attendance, waving large Ahly soccer flags beside the sea of Egyptian national flags. The Ultras' participation comes following violent clashes that took place on Tuesday between police and Ahly fans just after the conclusion of a match. The incident resulted in the injury of 90 fans and 45 policemen as well as the detainment of several Ahlawy members. Prior to the demonstrations, the military announced that it would not take any steps to provide security. Some have criticized this decision, calling it a form of negligence on the part of the military to protect the right to peaceful protest. In Alexandria, the demonstration remained a vocal but peaceful gathering throughout the day. BM
