Thousands of Egyptian protesters are expected to fill Cairo's Tahrir Square on Friday, yet again urging the country's interim military leaders to institute quicker democratic reforms.
The protest, known as the “Friday of Correcting the Path,” aims to put pressure on Egypt's Supreme Council of the Armed Forces to provide a concrete timeline for the transition to civilian rule. Protesters and activists are also calling for an end to military trials for civilians.
Cairo's central Tahrir Square, the epicenter of the country's “January 25 Revolution,” has largely been quiet since July, when security forces dispersed a sit-in by protesters, replacing them with the country's Central Security Forces.
On Thursday, the Egyptian Interior Ministry said it would evacuate police from the square in anticipation of the protest, saying the government respects the right to “peaceful demonstrations.”
While dozens of mostly secular political and activist groups plan to take part in Friday's protest, most of Egypt's major Islamist groups have decided to boycott the demonstration, saying protesters have not reached a common set of demands.
The secretary general of the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party, Saad al-Katatny, says his group is not participating in order to grant the military council an opportunity to enact further “revolutionary demands.”
Meanwhile, former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak was in court again Thursday, facing charges that he ordered the killing of 850 protesters during the uprising that led to his February resignation.
Mr. Mubarak is being tried along with former interior minister Habib al-Adly and six other deputies.