Four political movements on Saturday announced their withdrawal from a sit-in in Tahrir that started three days ago to call for expedited trials of officials from the Mubarak regime.
They said they pulled out to reorganize for the Friday 8 July protest.
Several protesters expressed disappointment with the withdrawal. Mohamed Abdel Aaty, a member of the Voice of Freedom Youth, said the April 6 Movement takes part in sit-ins that have large numbers and withdraws as numbers decrease. He also said the Coalition of Revolution Youth walked out of the sit-in without giving a reason.
In a statement issued on Saturday, various groups suspended the sit-in because, they said, the number of protesters currently in Tahrir is small, which is unsafe and vulnerable to being broken up by police or thugs.
The groups announced they are mobilizing people for the 8 July protest, dubbed the “Friday of Accountability and Self-Determination.” It will call for faster trials of former president Hosni Mubarak, stalwarts of his regime, and officers involved in killing protesters.
Popular committees nationwide have said they will participate in Friday's rally and issued a statement on Saturday highlighting their demands, which include the dismissal of Interior Minister Mansour al-Essawy.
The Salafi Nour Party said it supports the planned protest after its slogan was changed from "Constitution First" to "the Friday of Self-Determination."
Meanwhile, Jama’a al-Islamiya and Fadila Party, also a Salafi party, said they will not take part in Friday's rallies, saying they are suspicious of them, they said.
Ashraf Badr Eddin, a member of the Supreme authority of the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party, said the party would not participate in any protests under the motto of "Constitution First."
Translated from the Arabic Edition
