Cairo: Pushing for fast-paced reforms, Egyptian protesters have called for massive demonstrations on Friday in Cairo and other parts of the nation. The planned protests have been dubbed the ‘Friday of the Last Ultimatum', activists have said.
"Most political powers are determined to continue their [open-ended] strike until all demands are met," said Mohammad Adel, a spokesman for the protest group the April 6 Movement.
Thousands of Egyptians have been camping out in Al Tahrir Square in central Cairo and Suez, a flashpoint east of Cairo, in protest against the military rulers' alleged foot-dragging approach to the prosecution of former president Hosni Mubarak and other officials of his regime believed to be have been involved in a deadly crackdown on pro-democracy protesters earlier this year.
"Our key demands include [an immediate stop to the practice of making] civilians [face] military trials and removing corrupt officials belonging to the Mubarak regime," Adel added.
In an apparent response to pressure from protesters, Interior Minister Mansour Al Essawi on Wednesday unveiled a massive shake-up of the police service, in which nearly 700 senior policemen, suspected of shooting at peaceful protesters, were sacked.
At least 846 people were killed and more than 6,000 injured in a popular uprising that forced Mubarak to step down in February, according to a fact-finding commission.
Timetable calls
"The Friday demonstrations aim at sending a last ultimatum [to the country's rulers] to set a timetable for fulfilling the revolution's demands," said the Union of the Revolution's Youth, a protest group, in a statement.
"The demonstrations are also called to protest a statement made by the [ruling] Supreme Council of the Armed Forces [on Tuesday] in which it implicitly warned against continuing protests," it added.
Prime Minister Essam Sharaf on Monday promised to reshuffle his cabinet within a week, amid speculation that seven to 11 members of his current government will be dropped.
