Hundreds of people protest in Cairo against recent expansion of emergency law

Hundreds of people gathered in Cairo's Tahrir Square on Friday to protest against the recent expansion of the emergency law, amid palpable anger over the military's handling of transition from autocratic rule.

Protesters waved flags and chanted "no to the emergency law" in what was the epicenter of rallies that toppled the regime of President Hosni Mubarak in February.

Last week the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) widened the scope of the emergency law - restricted in 2010 by Mubarak to narcotics and terrorism - to include strikes, traffic disruption and the spreading of rumors.

Imam Gomaa Mohammed, delivering the Muslim noon prayer sermon, called on the authorities to repeal the law immediately and also to end the military trial of civilians. "The application of the emergency law totally contradicts the demands of the revolution" that toppled Mubarak following 18 days of mass nationwide rallies, Mohammed said. He urged the military council to "abolish (the law) and to apply civil law to all citizens without exception."

Mohammed also called for "an end to the military trials of civilians" and demanded a retrial of all those sentenced by military courts. A number of rights groups put that figure at more than 10,000. Echoing demands by youth groups that helped launch the uprising, he urged authorities to lay out a "clear timetable for legislative and presidential elections," stressing that "security and stability will only return to the country after elections."

On Thursday, Amnesty International slammed the recent expansion of the emergency law as a serious erosion of human rights. "The military authorities have essentially taken Egypt's laws back to the bad old days," said Philip Luther, Amnesty's Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa. "These changes are a major threat to the rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly, and the right to strike," Luther said. "We are looking at the most serious erosion of human rights in Egypt since Mubarak stepped down."