Egypt Demonstrators Block Main Cairo Bridge Over Nile River - USATODAY.com
Hundreds of Egyptian demonstrators briefly blocked a main Cairo bridge over the Nile river Thursday to back their call for an end to military rule, a sign of growing concern that the generals might try to cling to power.
The protesters stopped traffic on the Oct. 6 bridge during a peak traffic period, angering commuters. The bridge was blocked for more than an hour.
An organizer told a private TV station that the move was an escalation ahead of a larger rally planned Friday by Egyptian political and revolutionary groups to protest the ruling military council’s handling of the transition period and calling for their quick exit.
Egypt’s military took control after longtime President Hosni Mubarak was deposed in a popular uprising in February 2011. The generals have pledged to turn over power to a civilian government by the end of June, but in the turmoil over upcoming presidential elections, some Egyptians are worried that the military might try to hold on to power.
The presidential election is scheduled to begin May 23-24.
“It has been four months since the revolutionaries did anything … but the crises have increased,” said Hesham el-Shal, a coordinator for “the second revolution of rage” group that organized the bridge sit-in, a rare move by the protesters, who have mostly gathered in public squares or outside government institutions.