Egyptians are carrying out a day of disobedience today, marking one year since former president Hosni Mubarak was toppled, with crowds calling for an end to military rule.
Agence France-Pressereports:
The call for strikes in universities and workplaces comes after a series of protests pressuring the military to transfer power immediately to civilians, rather than wait for planned presidential elections later this year.
The military, headed by Mubarak's long-time defence minister Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, has said it will deploy additional troops across the country in response to the calls for a day of disobedience.
Al Jazeera adds that thousands of Egyptians were in the streets yesterday demanding an end to military rule:
In a joint statement on Friday, the protesting groups urged Egyptians "to support these strikes in order to end the unjust rule and build a nation in which justice, freedom and dignity prevail".
The call for strikes and protests has divided the country's political forces, with the Muslim Brotherhood, the big winner in the recent parliamentary elections, coming out against it.
Many Egyptians complain that the economy has been battered by the lack of security and deadly violence in the wake of the 18-day revolt that forced Mubarak to resign on February 11 last year.
On Friday, thousands of protesters marched through Cairo's streets to bypass military cordons and reach the defence ministry, chanting "Down with military rule!"
Journalist Sharif Kouddous' tweets today show Egyptian students gathering and marching:
Al Jazeera has video: