Icon12 Declaration of holiday on 25 January won't prevent demonstrations, say activists

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The decision of the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces’ (SCAF) to declare 25 January a national holiday will not undermine calls to protest against military rule, revolutionary movements said on Wednesday.

They said that they had expected the SCAF to announce a holiday in honor of the martyrs who fell victim to the brutality and repression of the Mubarak regime.

“It is a nice gesture that came too late,” said Ahmed al-Naqr, spokesman for the National Assembly for Change, who called on citizens to demonstrate peace††††y on that day.

“Military trials must stop, trials of the killers of the rebels since the outbreak of the revolution must be held, and political prisoners must be released,” he said.

Khaled Talima, a member of the 25 January Revolutionary Youth Coalition, said the military council should protect the civil state and social justice, not simply recognize the revolution without achieving its goals.

Amr Hamad, spokesman for the Union of Revolutionary Youths, said the military is seeking to circumvent the demands for a handover to civilian rule.
"They want to turn the day into a celebration of the armed forces,” he said.

Mohamed Abdel Aziz, a member of the Kefaya Movement, said the military council is following in the footsteps of Mubarak’s regime.

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