Egyptian activists have gathered in Cairo for a mass protest against the ruling military and its handling of a series of clashes between security forces and demonstrators that killed 17 people and drew international criticism, even as thousands of others demonstrated their support for the army. Tens of thousands protested in the capital’s Tahrir Square, the focal point of protests against the Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF) after Friday prayers. Students called for Egyptians to join Friday’s protest with a march from Ain Shams University to Tahrir Square. Two students were among those killed in the latest clashes. “The current predicament we have reached is a result of the army council’s reluctance to play its role, its intentional foot-dragging, breaking its obligations and failing over the economy and security, putting the whole country on the edge of a huge crisis,” said a statement signed by two dozen parties, youth movements and others calling for Friday’s protest.