CAIRO - Former head of the UN nuclear watchdog Mohamed ElBaradei Saturday slammed the ‘deceleration’ in meeting the demands of the January 25 Revolution that toppled the Mubarak regime.
In remarks on the return of people to Al Tahrir Square on Friday, ElBaradei tweeted, “There are several clear steps that have not been taken. Deceleration and compromises. Why?”
About 100 people gathered in the central Cairo’s Al Tahrir Square Saturday, demanding that ex-President Hosni Mubarak and senior officials in the former regime be tried.
About other 3,000 protesters said late on Friday they would spend the night in the Square, but finally changed their minds and left.Mubarak stepped down February 11, and the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces is now running the country’s affairs.
Egyptians are now concerned about what they see as the lingering influence of some elements of Mubarak’s administration and massed in Al Tahrir on Friday, ‘Rescue Friday’, reiterating the demands of the Youth Revolution.
Its main demands are bringing Mubarak, all the symbols of corruption in his defunct regime and those who killed the revolutionary martyrs to justice, halting gas exports to Israel and granting more freedom to the media.
Forming a presidential council to take over the country’s affairs over a two-year transitional period and setting a minimum and maximum wage are two other demands.Banners raised by the protesters in Al Tahrir read: "The people want corruption put on trial to save the Revolution” and “The people want the murderer to be tried.”
About 2,000 people held similar protests in the country’s second city of Alexandria on the Mediterranean Sea.Many Egyptians are more concerned about the deterioration in law and order and disruption to their daily lives, that they blame on the continued protests.
Activists had called for a large rally "to protect the Revolution" by reminding the Army of the protesters' demands.
The Friday protests included a mock trial for Mubarak, presided over by prominent former judge Mahmoud el-Khoderi, that held the ousted President responsible for hundreds of Egyptians being killed during the revolt.
The masses urged the jury ‘not to have the slightest mercy’ on Mubarak ‘for the crimes he committed against the Egyptian people’.
The verdict was postponed to next Friday ‘to give him and his lackeys the chance to come and be tried by the Egyptian people’; if not, he will be sentenced in absentia.
El-Khoderi called on the masses to take part in a ‘million man march’ on Friday 15 April. The marchers will go to Sharm el-Sheikh and arrest Mubarak and his family, if they haven’t already travelled to the capital for their trials.
