Egyptians return to Tahrir for reforms

Thousands of Egyptian protesters have held a mass rally at Cairo's iconic Tahrir Square demanding reforms even as the ruling military council warned it would respond harshly to any violent activities.

The protesters, who had gathered under a scorching sun, attacked Israel's embassy here and destroyed a protective wall with sledge-hammers. Some even pulled down the Israeli flag from atop the 21-story embassy building.

Tahrir Square is the epicentre of an uprising that ousted president Hosni Mubarak in February.

Egyptians were not happy with the working style of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, which assumed power when Mubarak was forced to quit on February 11. Field Marshall Hussein Tantawi is the head of the council.

There is a list of demands for the political powers but the ones all powers agree to are a halt to civilians being tried in military courts and an amendment to the law of elections and how the constituencies are divided.

Some protestors gathered in outside the Egyptian radio and TV building requesting cleansing the media from figures of the former regime.

Protests also took place in several other cities, including Alexandria and Suez.

During the the January 25-February 11 uprising that toppled Mubarak's nearly three-decade-long rule, about 850 people lost their lives.

The 83-year-old former president is on trial on charges of complicity in the deaths of protesters, a charge that could bring the death penalty.