CAIRO - Some political and youth groups continue their sit-in in Al Tahrir Square and other squares nationwide until their remaining demands are met by the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) and the Cabinet, urging the Egyptian people to join their 'peaceful' mass rallies Friday. "Our sit-ins will continue until all the demands of the revolution are met. We stress, however, the peaceful nature of the protests and the fact that they never interfere with the people's interests," read a statement made by the Revolution Youth Coalition and some other political groups. The statement, which was read in a press conference at the Press Syndicate, added that any bid to distort the peaceful nature of the protests would be foiled. "The threats by the SCAF are totally rejected. The SCAF and the Interior Ministry should be committed to protecting peaceful protesters, who are practising their rights," added the statement, which was also signed by Al-Wafd, the Democratic Front and Al-Tagammu parties. They also called on 'honourable' Egyptians to take to streets in Tahrir and other squares today to pressure the military rulers to achieve the demands of the revolution. Among the demands included in the statement are stopping the referral of civilians to military tribunals, referring former regime officials to trial, forming a new government with full powers, increasing the minimum wage and purging State authorities of remnants of the former regime. Most revolutionaries called Friday's protest the ‘Last Warning', although some other groups, who confirmed that they would be participating, said they did not like the title. "What is important is that the revolution continues until all the demands are met. It is not a matter of titles," said on protester. Although Prime Minister Essam Sharaf said he would reshuffle the Cabinet within a week and would appoint new governors by the end of the month, the protesters insisted Sharaf himself had failed in his task and should quit. "Giving him another chance would cost the nation time at such a crucial stage. No. He [Sharaf] should leave," said potential presidential candidate Amr Moussa. The Police Officers Coalition, meanwhile, said they would take part in the protests under the title of ‘Friday of Support and a New Charter', in reference to the people's showing support for the police after the Interior Ministry fired 600 senior officers. "It's high time Egyptians show their support for the police against the thugs. This is the only way to restore security and stamp out thuggery," said Ahmed Ragab, a spokesman for the coalition. Thousands of protesters have embarked on an open-ended strike in Cairo's Tahrir Square and in Suez, a restive city east of Cairo, to push the military rulers to arrange public and swift trials for Hosni Mubarak and other former officials. "We support the Friday protest to pressure the Military Council into holding swift, public trials for Mubarak and former regime officials," said Mo'amen Mohamed, a member of the protest group, the April 6 Youth Movement. However, the nation's Salafists announced their support for a controversial statement issued by the SCAF on the protests, saying they would not participate in this week's demonstrations. "The military statement which warned against attempts to hijack power aims at preventing disorder," the Salafists said in a statement, stressing that the group would not participate in Friday's protests, in order to give the ruling Military Council a chance to fulfill its promises.
