Protesters Scold Egypt’s Military Council

[Guest guest]

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/02/world/middleeast/02egypt.html

Protesters Scold Egypt's Military Council

By NEIL MacFARQUHAR

Published: April 1, 2011

CAIRO — Thousands of demonstrators filled Tahrir Square on Friday for the

largest protest in weeks, demanding that the ruling military council move faster

to dismantle lingering aspects of the old regime.

Disenchantment with the military was the focus of many speeches and chants, and

participants milling about were all too ready to grumble about the generals.

" The military council is inexplicably slow in responding to our demands, " said

Mohammad el-Qassas, a leader of the youth wing of the Muslim Brotherhood and a

member of the coalition of those who organized the Jan. 25 revolution. " Protests

and popular pressure must return, because they are only the real method of

realizing the people's demands. "

He reeled off a list of unaccomplished goals, including the arrest of leading

members of the old government, serious trials for corrupt businessmen, the

removal of university presidents appointed by former President Hosni Mubarak as

well as his provincial governors.

Painted banners, hung between palm trees on the square's south side, enumerated

still more. They included the cancellation of a proposed law that would ban

demonstrations, faster prosecution of those responsible for killing hundreds of

protesters in January and February and trials for the Mubarak family on charges

of plundering national wealth.

" Mubarak is still fishing in Sharm, as if nothing happened, " groused Hassan

Ismail, 60, a housing manager. He was referring to the Red Sea resort of Sharm

el Sheik, where Mr. Mubarak and his family now live — after being barred from

leaving the country.

Some noted that the military had taken steps through a national referendum to

bring about legislative elections planned for September and a presidential vote

two months later. But to many, those actions seem driven by what the military

wants.

" People are still skeptical about how this revolution is moving forward — they

want to remind the army and all forces that the revolution did not end yet, "

said Shaheer , a 25-year-old independent activist.

The chants that erupted on the square included " The people want the fall of the

field marshal, " referring to Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, the leader

of the military council and another Mubarak confidant.

Among the most common complaints is that the military is utterly opaque, issuing

edicts from behind closed doors. Despite its attempts to reach out by making

announcements via Facebook and text messages, there is no sense of popular

consultation.

The mood was a notable shift from two months ago, when the armed forces were

being universally hailed as the country's saviors for refusing to fire on the

crowds demanding President Mubarak's departure. A heavy military hand in

breaking up demonstrations and credible allegations of torturing arrested

protesters have also chipped away at the military's reputation.

" The army needs to be reminded that we are the ones who started this revolution,

and that is why they are in power now, " said Omniya Bahgat, a 26-year-old

demonstrator. " We are tired of hearing that our demands will be met later. "

The crowd on Friday appeared to number about 4,000, a far cry from the hundreds

of thousands who gathered there to demand Mr. Mubarak's ouster. But it was too

dense for the cars to penetrate, and the distinctive red berets of the military

police were not in sight. People also turned out in droves in andria and

other large cities, activists said.

In part, the smaller crowds are attributable to the fact that the various

political organizations no longer share the same simple goals like overthrowing

the president, analysts said. Also there is a general debate about whether it is

time to abandon the protests in the square as a method of change and wait for a

nascent political system to grow stronger.

" Tahrir Square represents the possibility of getting people mobilized — hundreds

of thousands of people, " said Diaa Rashwan, a political analyst at the Ahram

Center for Strategic and International Studies. " That still matters. "

Lara El Gibaly and Liam Stack contributed reporting.

[Guest guest]

" The military council is inexplicably slow in responding to our demands, " said

Mohammad el-Qassas, a leader of the youth wing of the Muslim Brotherhood and a

member of the coalition of those who organized the Jan. 25 revolution. " Protests

and popular pressure must return, because they are only the real method of

realizing the people's demands. "

But...but...the Muslim Brotherhood LIKED the military a few weeks ago.

Maybe...maybe if the military speeds up and " gives in to their demands " the

Muslim Brotherhood will be happy.

Yeah, that's the ticket.

Administrator