CAIRO: Tens of protesters gathered in Tahrir Square Friday to witness the first meeting of the popular committees for protecting the revolution, demanding the disbanding of local councils, speeding up trials of ousted regime figures and establishing a civilian presidential council. Many also gathered to protest civilian trials in military courts. The committees, spread over 15 governorates with 40 central committees, work on a local level to solve problems at various districts and villages and to monitor the performance of service agencies as well as the police. "We want to transfer the spirit of the revolution everywhere so each committee will list the problems of its respective district, suggest solutions, monitor local authorities and hold public discussions in which everyone can participate," said Ihab Ali, coordinator of the Imbaba popular committee and member of the general committee. "We were established following the resignation of ousted president Mubarak to continue achieving the aims of the revolution and we chose to announce our foundation publicly and take our legitimacy from Tahrir today," he added. The committees launched two initiatives including the establishment of the general union for the unemployed and electing governors rather than direct appointment. "We will begin by issuing a true statistic of the number of unemployed youth, demand their rights in unemployment benefits and find jobs for them," Ihab said. "We will also request a new system for choosing governors through elections rather than appointment after the transitional period ends to avoid problems like what's happening in Qena," he added. According to Ihab, the committees will also study the electoral programs of candidates in local councils and parliamentary elections and support those who respond to people's demands regardless of their political affiliation. The committees will also make sure that candidates do not belong to the ousted regime. However, he said the committees are not affiliated with any political party or group and that they comprise members from different ideologies. "We will also organize political awareness and literacy campaigns among the masses to raise public awareness," said Ibrahim Mashhour, coordinator of Al-Saf committee in Helwan. "Each committee will work on its own through voluntary efforts to meet the needs of its district because the needs of the different districts aren't the same," he added. Protesters in Tahrir on Friday demanded referring civilians to regular courts rather than military courts. Military police was seen clearing the square from street vendors and briefly detaining some before releasing them. At Maspero, a number of protesters held a silent protest refusing "the insult of Mubarak" and demanding a fair trial for him. They called for a major protest on April 25 in front of Maspero. Protesters injured during the early days of the January 25 Revolution, all in their left eye, speak in Tahrir. (Daily News Egypt Photo / Hassan Ibrahim)
