Egypt activists march ahead of strikes

Hundreds of protesters marched to Egypt's defence ministry Friday demanding the military rulers' ouster, on the eve of a planned civil disobedience campaign to mark Hosni Mubarak's overthrow a year ago.

The activists have planned marches in Cairo that will converge on the defence ministry as a prelude to strikes and sit-ins on Saturday, exactly a year after Mubarak's overthrow left the military in charge.

At the Fateh mosque in central Cairo, the protesters began chanting, "Down with military rule," at the end of the weekly Muslim prayer before setting off in the direction of the ministry.

"We are marching to the defence ministry, we want to remove the military," said prominent activist Asmaa Mahfuz, who taped an influential video more than a year ago calling on Egyptians to rise against Mubarak.

Young activists such as Mahfuz, whom the military had threatened to put on trial after she attacked the ruling generals in Internet postings, have turned their sights on the army a year after toppling Mubarak in an 18-day uprising.

The military, which promises to hand over power after a president is elected later this year, said it will deploy troops across the country after the activists called the civil disobedience campaign, state media reported.

The call has divided the country's political forces, with the Muslim Brotherhood -- the big winner in recent parliamentary elections -- coming out against the activists as they demand an immediate transition to civilian rule.

Students in several universities have called for strikes on Saturday, with secular youth groups who spearheaded the revolt against Mubarak joining in.

Tareq al-Khouly, an organiser with the April 6 youth group, said the plan was for a one-day strike, which could be extended.

In a joint statement on Friday, the groups called on Egyptians "to support these strikes in order to end the unjust rule and build a nation in which justice, freedom and dignity prevail."

The military was initially idolised for not siding with Mubarak during the uprising, but it has since faced growing protests against its continued rule and has several times used deadly force to disperse demonstrations.