Egypt's new military rulers, promising to guard against "counter-revolution", faced political pressure on Friday to purge the cabinet of ministers appointed by Hosni Mubarak as thousands of protesters gathered in Cairo. On the eve of the rally that also celebrated two weeks since Mubarak's removal, the military, which has promised elections within six months, assured Egyptians there would be "no return to the past" of the Mubarak era.
In the gathering at Tahrir Square, which also reminded the military of the people power that ended Mubarak's 30-year iron rule, activists urged the military to overhaul the newly appointed cabinet and install a fresh team of technocrats. "The demands are clear: resignation of the government of (Prime Minister) Ahmed Shafiq; immediate release of political prisoners and the issuing of a general amnesty that absolves all," Safwat Higazie, a leading member of the Council of the Protectors of the Revolution, told Reuters.
The atmosphere was also festive. Mothers pushed little children in strollers, with red, white and black Egyptian flags painted on toddlers' cheeks. People waved the national flag, danced and sang patriotic songs as soldiers looked on. During noon prayers, the preacher called on Egypt's powerful army to stand by the people and to respect their demands. He also expressed Egyptian solidarity with the rebellion against Muammar Gaddafi in the western neighbour Libya.
In Suez, about 7,000 protested, demanding the constitution be changed and not just reformed, the removal of Shafiq from power and the resignation of the governor of Suez. In Ismailia, over 10,000 people demonstrated, saying the "revolution was not over and it has not achieved all of its goals."
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