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    July 15, 2011

Braving Scorching Heat, Egyptians Rally to Press for Reforms

   VOA News
   Egyptian protesters wave national flag and shout slogans as thousands
   crowd Cairo's landmark Tahrir Square, July 15, 2011
   Photo: AFP
   Egyptian protesters wave national flag and shout slogans as thousands
   crowd Cairo's landmark Tahrir Square, July 15, 2011

   Thousands of Egyptians have braved scorching heat to rally in Cairo's
   Tahrir Square, where they are pressing the interim government to speed
   up the pace of reforms.
   Some activists taking part in Friday's protests have camped in the
   square for a week.
   However, western news reports say the Muslim Brotherhood - Egypt's best
   organized political group - is not taking part in the rally, deciding
   for now to work in the background on reforms.
   The protests come after the Interior Ministry announced the dismissals
   of more than 600 police officers on Wednesday.
   The move was an apparent bid to meet the demands of demonstrators who
   have called for swifter justice for those involved in crimes under
   former President Hosni Mubarak's leadership.
   The government also announced a delay of up to two months in
   parliamentary elections that had been scheduled for September. Secular
   and liberal activists had said they needed more time to prepare
   candidates.

   Some information for this report was provided by AP, and Reuters.
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References

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