CAIRO: Political powers that called for the Sept. 9 protests will have the responsibility of securing, organizing and preserving all gathering places, the ruling army council said in its 74th statement. The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) reiterated the right of Egyptians to express their “legitimate demands” in a statement published Wednesday on its official Facebook page. The statement was similar to SCAF's 58th, released prior to the May 27 protests. Several political powers including the April 6 Youth Movement, the Kefaya Movement for Change, the Revolution Youth Coalition as well as Al-Tagammu and Al-Ghad parties are calling for mass protests on Sept. 9 dubbed “Correcting the Path.” Those calling for the demonstrations, to be held mainly in the iconic Tahrir Square, said they will be peaceful. Most Islamist groups, however, will not be taking part in the protests. Protesters' demands include amending the PA and Shoura Council laws, ending military trials of civilians, setting a specific timeframe for handing over power to a civilian government and setting a reasonable minimum and maximum wage. In Wednesday's statement, SCAF called on Egyptians to beware of elements that may jeopardize the image of Egypt and the revolution's youths, including those internally attempting to obstruct the revolution and external forces targeting Egypt's national security. Several pages on Facebook have recently called for confrontations with the army, claiming to be created by known political powers but that was later denied. “The recent detected calls inciting the public to attack units of armed forces and police in the name of these forces represent an attempt to raise doubts over their national inclinations,” SCAF said. “Any violations against the units, institutions or camps of the military or against vital establishments pose a threat to national security and to the interests of this great [nation] and will be strictly dealt with,” the statement added.
