The number of protesters in Tahrir Square swelled into the hundreds on Friday afternoon as marches arrived in the square from various districts in Cairo.
Protesters are demonstrating against the Muslim Brotherhood and its political arm, the Freedom and Justice Party. Liberals, leftist and revolutionary figures are calling the day of protests “Egypt for all Egyptians.”
Demonstrators chanted slogans such as, "Down with the rule of the supreme guide," and raised banners reading "Bread, freedom, dissolving the Constituent Assembly."
During the march to Tahrir from Mohandiseen, minor clashes took place between the April 6 Youth Movement and members of Amr Moussa’s Conference Party.
Quarrels took place also between protesters participating in a march coming from Shubra district and a number of the Muslim Brotherhood.
The marches began at the end of Friday prayers.
The satellite TV channel Al-Jazeera Mubasher Misr showed footage of a march entering Tahrir from Talaat Harb Street. Protesters chanted, “Sell the revolution Badie,” referring to the Muslim Brotherhood’s supreme guide. Other activists standing on a stage in the square announced that the Ultras Ahlawy would also be marching to join them.
Marches began Shubra, Sayeda Zeinab and Mohandiseen. Activist Ahmed Harara and Emad Abo Ghazi, a Constitution Party leader and the former minister of culture, both joined the march from Subra.
Dozens already began arriving in the square early on Friday morning. Members of the Constitution Party set up a stage in the square with a banner reading, “No to the hegemony of the Constituent Assembly.”
Other banners in the square read, “We want the constitution to be for all Egyptians,” and “From Tahrir we say ‘No’ to the constitution tailors.”
Ambulances lined up at the entrances to the square in anticipation of any emergency events.
The protesters’ demands include the dissolution of the Muslim Brotherhood-dominated Constituent Assembly, the rejection of the final draft of the new constitution, the establishment of a minimum and maximum wage, an end to high prices, the retrial of the acquitted killers of the martyrs of the revolution, the recovery of funds smuggled abroad by former regime officials, and the elimination of corruption in state institutions.
Seven marches were planned from different locations in the greater Cairo area to Tahrir Square throughout the day, in addition to demonstrations in several governorates where clashes that took place last Friday between leftist and Brotherhood forces during a day of protests criticizing President Mohamed Morsy’s first 100 days in office.
Participants in today’s marches call for an apology from the Muslim Brotherhood for last week’s clashes.
Thirty parties and political movements announced participation in today’s protests, including the Constitution Party, the Egyptian Social Democratic Party, the Popular Socialist Alliance, the Revolutionary Youth Union, the April 6 Youth Movement and the Kefaya Movement.
Amr Moussa and Hamdeen Sabbahi both stated that they would be marching today.
The National Association for Change announced participation as well, and called on participants not to respond to any provocation, so as to keep the protests peaceful.
The April 6 Youth Movement has called for a consensual constitution. The movement demanded an apology from the Muslim Brotherhood and called on Morsy to hold the group responsible for Friday 12 October clashes.
