Start of curfew pushed back in Egypt as protests become quieter

CAIRO, Aug. 24 (UPI) -- The start of curfew has been pushed back two hours except on Fridays, the Egyptian government announced Saturday.

The curfew will now be in effect in 14 governates from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m., Ahram Online reported. When it was first imposed, the curfew began at 7 p.m., which will remain the start time for Fridays, the most usual day for mass protests.

Demonstrations by the Muslim Brotherhood this week attracted smaller crowds and were less violent officials said. The change in the curfew came amid reports the Brotherhood has been holding secret meetings with Egyptian officials to solve the current crisis.

A source close to former Minister of Local Development and Muslim Brotherhood Guidance Bureau member Mohamed Ali Beshr said told Egypt Independent Beshr has been in negotiations with secular and liberal officials on an agreement that would be submitted to the military, and that the Muslim Brotherhood has negotiated with military leaders directly, the Egypt Independent reported Saturday.

The revelation of negotiations comes after dwindling numbers of protesters were seen at demonstrations Friday. Muslim Brotherhood leaders were absent from protests and the number of demonstrators was was a small fraction of the number who came out in Rabaa al-Adaweya, al-Nahda and other governates.

Activists are now focused on boosting attendance at protests scheduled for Aug. 30, the news report said.