Protesters in Cairo's Tahrir Square rejected a statement issued by the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) that accused the April 6 Youth Movement of being behind a scheme to sabotage the unity of the people and the army.
Thousands of protesters who swarmed to Tahrir on Friday afternoon chanted, “Field Marshal, We are all April 6,” and said they reject the threatening tone used by the SCAF, reminiscent of the Mubarak era.
On social networking websites, several activists announced that they are joining the movement, as did female presidential hopeful Buthaina Kamel.
Approximately 2000 Tahrir protesters had marched, the same day, on the SCAF headquarters to protest what they described as assaults on protesters in Suez and Alexandria. The number of people marching reached around 4000 as they passed by the Nour Mosque in Abbasseya.
Army forces then prevented the protesters from advancing further, using armored vehicles to block Abbasseya bridge and firing shots in the air to disperse the protest.
Protesters said Central Security trucks attempted to encircle them, but protesters forced them to retreat.
In Suez, popular committees arrested two policemen from the National Security apparatus, whom they said were informing on the protest in Arbaeen Square. Another 15 people hurled Molotov cocktails at the National Security headquarters. Army forces arrested some people, one of whom is said to be an activist.
Protesters are calling for an end to the suppression of peaceful protests and sit-ins, and for the killers of protesters to be brought to immediate, public trials. They also call for the removal of Minister of Interior Mansour al-Essawy, whom they say is protecting those who killed protesters during the 25 January revolution, refusing to acknowledge the existence of snipers during the 28 January protests, and degrading the revolution's martyrs.
In a statement published on its official Facebook page, the SCAF said positive developments achieved in recent days run contrary to the individual interests of some political movements, which have their own agendas and want to break the unity of the people and the army.
The statement then went on to specifically say that the April 6 Youth Movement has for some time been seeking to drive a wedge between the people and the army, but has failed due to recent positive developments. The statement urged people to stay alert and avoid being misled by such schemes.
It also said, however, that it continues to reject the use of force against protesters.
Translated from the Arabic Edition
