CAIRO: Thousands of Egyptians have taken to Cairo's iconic Tahrir Square in a protest dubbed “the Friday of the last chance,” to demand that their interim military rulers, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), immediately cede power to a civilian government. The protest is expected to be the biggest demonstration yet in a week of violence between state security and protesters across Egypt, that has left at least 41 dead and over 3,000 injured. Egypt's military rulers seized power in February after a series of popular uprisings overthrew the regime of former President Hosni Mubarak. The SCAF initially vowed to act as the guardians of Egypt's revolution, promising to see the country through a transition to civilian rule. However, after nine months of rule, Egyptian citizens stood convinced that their abusive military rulers intended on clinging to power, and returned to Tahrir to complete their revolution. “We won't leave until the military government leaves, and we won't leave until there is peace for our nation,” vowed one protester in the square. Tahrir Square and the areas surrounding have become a bloody battleground between police and demonstrators, who have indiscriminately used tear gas, rubber bullets, live ammunition and brute force to quell the protests. A truce has governed the space since the early hours of Thursday morning, however many expect violence to return to the square as it swells with protesters on Friday. Egypt's military rulers offered to hasten the timeframe for presidential elections, vaguely scheduled for sometime in 2013. The SCAF vowed to hold presidential elections before July of next year, however protesters rejected this offer, as popular distrust of Egypt's ruling powers mounts. The SCAF also intends on holding presidential elections, set to begin on Monday, as scheduled, despite the recent outbreak of violence. “I will not vote in elections. I am here to demand freedom first, not elections. How can we vote in elections governed by people who are slaughtering us?” Abdalla, a 20-year-old protester, told Bikyamasr.com. BM
