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Large Anti-SCAF Protests Held across Country


Tens of thousands of protesters gathered in Tahrir Square “in one of the biggest protests seen in the country since the toppling of Hosni Mubarak.” Egyptians gathered to protest against the rule of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces and its attempts to “impose a set of ‘supra-constitutional principles’” on the development of the new constitution, which would thus “entrench military control over civilian politics.”

The crowd in the Square reportedly was dominated by Islamist groups, though non-Islamists were also present in large numbers. Similar protests were also reported today in Alexandria, North Sinai, and areas of Upper Egypt, though protesters in North Sinai and Upper Egypt reportedly demanded an Islamic state (in contrast to the civil state that was reportedly the focus of the Cairo and Alexandria gatherings). The protests would ultimately turn into a week of deadly clashes between protesters and security forces.