Limited police, media in Egypt celebration

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CAIRO, Jan. 22 (UPI) -- There will be no police presence in Egypt's Tahrir Square for the celebration of the one-year anniversary of the start of mass protests, an official said.

Maj. Gen. Mohammed Ibrahim, the recently appointed minister of interior, said the role of police will be limited Wednesday to securing important state facilities and public and private property as the army plans to stage revolution celebrations in Cairo, Biykamasr.com reported Saturday.

Wednesday marks the day mass protests began one year ago, leading to the ouster of former President Hosni Mubarak.

"The Egyptian revolution ensures freedom of peaceful expression of opinion in all its forms and aspects, as long as is not illegitimate and violating the law," Ibrahim said.

Meanwhile, Egypt's ministry of information has asked state television not to cover any protests associated with Wednesday's celebration, the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information said.

"We are greatly concerned over the prior intentions of the media officials to repeat the same very scenario of the last year deceiving the public opinion and blacking out Tahrir protests as well as the violations that might be committed against the protesters there," ANHRI said in a statement.

Some political movements have called for protests Wednesday to call for the end of military rule in Egypt, Biykamasr.com reported.