(Newser)
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Thousands of protesters gathered in Tahrir Square today, for what had been hyped as a "Million Man (March) of Justice" in opposition of presidential candidate Ahmed Shafiq. Marches converged on the square from points around Cairo, led by defeated presidential candidates Hamdeen Sabahi, a liberal, and Abdel Aboul Fotouh, a moderate Islamist, al-Jazeera reports. Thousands more protested in Alexandria, and there were smaller gatherings scattered elsewhere around Egypt. Shafiq was a figure in Hosni Mubarak's regime, making him an unacceptable choice for protesters.
"If Shafiq wins, we will overturn everything into fire and destruction," one protester told MSNBC. "He can only win through fraud with the help of the military." The protest comes on the heels of similar demonstrations following Mubarak's trial. But all this outrage isn't accomplishing much, writes Tony Karon of Time. Protesters don't seem able to speak for, or influence, the wider population. "Indeed, reports suggest that … Egyptians outside the square are growing increasingly intolerant of the economic disruptions created by endless protest."
