Egypt's Supreme Court Protest in Solidarity with Judges, May 25

Egyptian pro-reform judges stand in front the Supreme Court house during an anti-government protest in Cairo, Egypt, Thursday, May 25, 2006. About 300 pro-reform judges on Thursday staged a sit-in under the watchful eyes of thousands of anti-riot police outside a downtown courthouse to demand independence of the judiciary. (AP Photo/Mohamed Al-Sehety)
An Egyptian demonstrator chants anti government slogans in front of Egyptian riot police during a pro-judges protest outside the Supreme Court house in Cairo, Egypt, Thursday, May 25, 2006. Opposition activists, meanwhile, organized protests to support the judges and mark the first anniversary of a referendum on a controversial constitutional amendment. (AP Photo/Mohamed Al-Sehety) CAIRO (AFP) - Protesters rallied in Cairo in support of independence calls by reformist judges and to mark the first anniversary of a referendum day tarnished by violence against opposition activists.

About 500 judges marched silently to the country's high court from their syndicate headquarters, where about 300 protesters were gathered, surrounded by riot police.

"This is a stand for the judges' demands. We want to reform the judicial law, we want real supervision of the elections and an inquest into what happened in last year's elections and the freedom for all those detained while supporting the judges," Ahmed Mekki, vice president of the Court of Cassation, told AFP as he stood under a giant Egyptian flag.

Egypt's judges, who are responsible for supervising the election process, have become a symbol of the drive for reform in Egypt and are waging an aggressive campaign seeking independence from the executive. More