‘Hosni Mubarak, the plane is waiting’
Yasmine El Rashidi
Pierre Sioufi
Cairo, January 25, 2011
Cairo on the morning of January 25 felt like something of a ghost town. Few civilians were to be found on the streets, most stores were shuttered, and the typically heaving downtown was deserted. It was a national holiday, and in the central town square, named Tahrir, or Liberation, even cars were scarce, and parking spaces—always sparse—were in abundance. The only conspicuous presence was that of Egypt’s police and state security. Rows of their box-shaped olive-green trucks lined thoroughfares and narrow side-streets, in some cases blocking them off for miles. Beside them were battered cobalt blue trucks—the ones used to whisk away prisoners and detainees. Throughout the downtown area and in neighboring districts, police and informants (easily identified by their loitering presence, darting eyes, and frequent two-second phone calls) were gathered around the otherwise empty major arteries of the city. Hundreds of them. Many wore black cargo pants, bush jackets and clunky army boots. Many more were in plain clothes—standing on street corners, at calculated intervals on sidewalks, in building entrances, on bridges, and in the few cafes open on a day when almost everything was closed.
Youth activist groups had designated January 25 as “Freedom Revolution Day.” The uprising in Tunisia, which in four short weeks sent President Zine el-Abidine Ben-Ali packing, had been closely watched by Egyptian activists and opposition leaders. They included members of the once-popular Kifaya (Enough), the youth-based 6th of April Movement, Karama, The Popular Democratic Movement for Change (HASHD), the National Association for Change, founded by former IAEA Chief Mohamed ElBaradei, the Justice and Freedom Youth movement, and the Revolutionary Socialists. Last week, some thirty of these activists met in the decrepit headquarters of the Center for Socialist Studies in central Cairo to organize a mass demonstration against the repressive Egyptian regime.
Egyptians have many grievances, with sectarian strife, police brutality, inflation and skyrocketing prices, and the vicious clampdowns by the government on any dissent topping that list. In the lead-up to last November’s parliamentary elections, press freedoms were curbed and dozens of opposition members were jailed. The elections themselves were widely seen as a sham, yielding a sweeping victory for president Hosni Mubarak’s ruling National Democratic Party. Then, on the eve of the New Year, a suicide bombing outside a church in Alexandria left twenty-two people dead and eighty injured.
The activists’ plan for January 25 was to send tens of thousands of Egyptians into the streets, and to have them stay there until Mubarak gave in to demands: justice, freedom, citizen rights, and an end to his thirty-year rule. The organizers—comprised, largely, of public university graduates in their twenties—had called on Cairenes to gather at several locations across the city, prepared for nights in the streets and armed with cameras—to document any police brutality, which has come to be expected at any public protest here.
To lobby support, the activists used Twitter and Facebook, targeting above all the 60 percent of Egypt’s 80 million people who are under the age of 25. A rap song was made and circulated, a video plea by the mother of the slain activist Khaled Said recorded, and Facebook groups formed to encourage people to join the protest.
On the 25th, I had made a plan with a journalist friend to head out early and stop by several of the designated protest locations—the Supreme Court, Cairo University, the popular Mustafa Mahmoud Mosque, and Shubra—before deciding where to go. Admittedly, we were skeptical. Just weeks before, in a similar call for demonstrations in Egypt in solidarity with the Tunisian uprising, I had arrived at a downtown square to find it barricaded by 200 shielded riot police. Inside were only nine protesters holding up three small banners.
But this time was different. Our first stop, around noon, was the Supreme Court, on usually bustling Ramses Street in the city center. There, we found rows of riot police with their batons, the same roadblock of trucks, and metal rails cordoning off the patch of sidewalk that state security had assigned for protesters. The government’s strategy, as on previous occasions, was to surround protesters with both metal and human barricades, trapping them.
In the allocated spot of sidewalk, we found only a single man, who we recognized as the defense lawyer of Ayman Nour, the opposition party leader who was thrown in jail after running against Mubarak in the 2005 presidential elections. “They’ve been civil with me so far,” he said of the officers present. “They even offered me a cup of tea.”
We stayed for a few minutes, watching the crowd gathering, spotting CNN’s Ben Wedeman and an entourage of foreign press. But tweets and text messages were coming through about escalating tensions in Shubra—a working class district in the center of the city known as a stronghold of the Coptic Christian community. The neighborhood was still reeling from the New Year’s eve attack on a church in Alexandria, to which it had close ties. My friend called another friend, Mohamed Waked, an anthropologist and seasoned activist. He would join us, along with his brother, Amr, an actor who appeared in the film Syriana.
In Shubra, we joined a marching procession of about one hundred people, mainly Muslims, who were moving slowly through narrow, muddy streets, led by activists chanting into a speaker: “Christian or Muslim it’s not important, similar poverty similar concerns! Hosni Mubarak, Hosni Mubarak, the plane is waiting, the plane is waiting. Saudi Arabia is not far!”
Within an hour, the group had grown. The hundred had become a thousand. Behind them, thirty plain-clothes thugs and state security followed, not saying a word, not indicating concern. The cohort decided to proceed to Tahrir Square, Cairo’s central square, where tension was mounting and processions of 2,000 activists were coming in from different directions. Through Twitter, the protesters had agreed that all marches should converge there.
I thought to tell a journalist friend of our plan, and slowed down to make a phone call. In a second, my head tilted, glancing at the street behind me, I saw the attack: 300 shielded riot police stormed the crowd. Onlookers screamed. Police grabbed people by their necks, beat them, dragged some off, many of them kicking, some visibly bloody. Others found refuge in building stairwells, and some residents opened their doors for protesters to come in for cover. My friend and I ducked into a back street, eventually reuniting with Mohamed, whom we had lost amid the scramble to escape police.
Yasmine El Rashidi
A man kneels during the protest. Cairo, January 25, 2011
We lingered, waiting for a car to come, trying to absorb what we had just witnessed. Mohamed looked around. He noted a group of informants with walkie-talkies down the street. “They’re trying to figure out our next move.” We laughed, and then regretted it, when a split-second later, four muscular men grabbed him from behind and ran off, taking him away, yelling at us to get out of the area fast. Despite the chaos, we somehow managed to hail a cab, headed for Tahrir.
By the time we arrived, Tahrir Square was filling up again with protesters, about 15,000 of them. Young men in their twenties with football-themed hoodies and Puma sneakers were everywhere. Young women too—some of them veiled, many of them not. Fathers with young children on their shoulders and by their sides filled the square’s grassy center. I spotted Al-Ghad party leader Ayman Nour, and the outspoken newspaper editor Ibrahim Eissa, who was fired last year for being too critical of the regime. Hala El Koussy, the well-known artist, was there too, and I noticed Amr Shalakany, a law professor at the American University in Cairo, carrying an Egyptian flag. Someone pointed to the novelist Alaa El Aswaany, in the distance. I could just about make him out through the crowds, wearing a burgundy scarf. Some members of the Muslim Brotherhood were also in attendance, spotted by a journalist friend who had interviewed them in recent weeks. They were there as independents, since the group’s leaders had decided it would not participate in the protests.
The streets were strewn with rocks and other debris from earlier scuffles with police. I was told that protesters and riot police had clashed, and that the police had already fired tear gas. We waited, expecting it to happen again. The chanting grew louder, and the crowd grew too. By 4:30 PM, I heard someone say that the last of the marching protesters had arrived in the square. News reports estimated that 20,000 to 40,000 people had gathered there. I debated this with journalists and friends: no one agreed on a figure.
Around the square, security forces began to move in. A bearded man in faded jeans and a faux suede jacket raised a speaker and called on the crowd to chant louder. A young man, about 19, climbed a pole and raised the Egyptian flag. A young girl in a pink sweater hoisted a banner, asking Mubarak to step down. She must have been about nine. She was smiling and seemed to think that this was a celebration. As the sun began to set, activists insisted that people remain here all night, or until Mubarak yields. They chanted for courage. “No one will die”.
For hours, this went on, chants interrupted by the firing of sporadic rounds of tear gas. Phone networks were cut and the light had dimmed. Reports were trickling in that there had been no mention of the protests on state TV, and that even Al-Jazeera coverage was sparse. No one seemed to be leaving. Small crowds tried to, but people cheered them back, telling them not to fear, to be one, to unite. Most of them stayed. By late in the evening rumors started to circulate that the Minister of the Interior had given orders for live ammunition to be used after 10 PM. In an uproar, the crowd shouted that they were still not scared, that nothing would move them except defeat of their ruler. They moved closer towards the police barricades, shouting into the air that the force of the citizens was stronger than any ammunition the police might use.
I had been close to the front of the crowd, facing the riot police. When I heard talk of live ammunition, I retreated back into the center of the square. I wondered if it might be time to leave, but others around weren’t flinching.
We waited.
Close to 1 AM, we sensed something was about to happen. The number of riot police had increased, we noticed more shielded trucks in outlying side-streets, and the security barricade the police had erected seemed to be inching closer, closing in on the square. Suddenly, there were groups of thugs—strongmen in cotton shirts despite the cold—both moving among the protesters and in the surrounding streets. The riot police pulled down their masks.
The attack was ruthless. The police fired round after round of tear gas and began to strike protesters indiscriminately with their batons; the thugs, who were beating down on protesters—in some cases with metal chains and knives—seemed to have orders to kill. With the air thick with sulphur, people fell to the ground, many toppled by the sheer force of the security forces moving in. Water cannons smashed through the crowds.
Hours later, many of us were back home, checking our Twitter and Facebook feeds for news and wondering what would happen next. Would there be a curfew, would the president release a statement, would the state concede anything? What would tomorrow’s papers say? People joked that the ruling family had just landed at Heathrow, a hundred bags in tow. Ayman Nour tweeted that his son had been detained. Activists slammed Hilary Clinton’s remarks describing Egypt’s government as “stable and looking for ways to respond to the legitimate needs and interests of the Egyptian people.” A picture of an empty tear gas canister circulated, the zoom focusing in on ‘Made in USA’. Organizers circulated a message that the protests would continue, tomorrow, the next day, and Friday after midday prayers.
“Don’t forget,” tweeted one activist, “that in Tunisia it took a month. #Egypt is bigger, it will take more. #jan25, keep it alive.”
At the time of this writing, protests have begun again. I can hear the echo of sirens in the city, and I’ve been receiving tweets about what’s happening downtown, about arrests and “abductions.” Our friend Mohamed has not yet been released from the custody of state security. In all, 860 protesters were arrested throughout the country, and three people were killed. A journalist friend who is out covering the events posts on her Facebook page: “Cairo is under siege today. By the government’s thugs and security apparatus. Protests, kidnappings, beatings, arrests, tear gas. What the hell!”
January 26, 2011 5:45 p.m.
01. Egyptian anti-government protesters clash with riot police at the port city of Suez, about 134 km (83 miles) east of Cairo, January 27, 2011. Police fired rubber bullets, water cannon and tear gas at hundreds of demonstrators in the eastern city of Suez, on a third day of protests calling for an end to President Hosni Mubarak's 30 year-old-rule. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany
UPDATE: Live streams from Egypt. Protesters are urging the army to join them and not side with the government or police.
UPDATE 2: New images added. A curfew has been put in place and the army is said to have been called in by the governement aka Hosni Mubarak.
UPDATE 3: Several more images added of the street battles in Cairo. Mubarak has called in the army to help out the police and armoured vehicles and tanks have been seen on the streets of Suez, Cairo and Alexandria. Mubarak has also ordered the shutting down of the mobile phone networks (Vodoafone says) in several areas of the country. This, together with the shutting down of the internet, it is hoped will prevent protesters from organising their actions. Let’s hope it doesn’t. It will be interesting to see what the Western politicians have to say about all this as they’ve always treated Mubarak as a friend and ally.
UPDATE 4 29-01-2011: New images added. Mubarak has changed his government, promised reforms, but has still sent the army out onto the streets. The Egyptians want him gone and he doesn’t get it.
UPDATE 5 30-01-2011: We added some more images in a second topic about the protests as this one was getting a bit image heavy and slowing the servers down.
02. An anti-government protester gestures during clashes with police in Cairo January 26, 2011. Thousands of Egyptians defied a ban on protests by returning to Egypt's streets on Wednesday and calling for President Hosni Mubarak to leave office, and some scuffled with police. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
03. Egyptian plainclothes policemen arrest an anti-government protester during clashes in Cairo January 26, 2011. Thousands of Egyptians defied a ban on protests by returning to Egypt's streets on Wednesday and calling for President Hosni Mubarak to leave office, and some scuffled with police. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
04. A man shouts in front of riot police in Cairo January 26, 2011. Thousands of Egyptians defied a ban on protests by returning to Egypt's streets on Wednesday and calling for President Hosni Mubarak to leave office, and some scuffled with police. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic
05. Riot police clash with protesters in Cairo January 26, 2011. Thousands of Egyptians defied a ban on protests by returning to Egypt's streets on Wednesday and calling for President Hosni Mubarak to leave office, and some scuffled with police. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic
06. A riot policeman holds his face after being injured during clashes with anti-government protesters in downtown Cairo January 26, 2011. Thousands of Egyptians defied a ban on protests by returning to Egypt's streets on Wednesday and calling for President Hosni Mubarak to leave office, and some scuffled with police. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
07. Riot police clash with protesters in Cairo January 26, 2011. Thousands of Egyptians defied a ban on protests by returning to Egypt's streets on Wednesday and calling for President Hosni Mubarak to leave office, and some scuffled with police. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic
08. A riot policeman walks past burning tyres placed to form a barricade during clashes with protesters in Cairo January 26, 2011. Thousands of Egyptians defied a ban on protests by returning to Egypt's streets on Wednesday and calling for President Hosni Mubarak to leave office, and some scuffled with police. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic
09. Riot police keep watch as they hold shields during clashes with protesters in Cairo January 26, 2011. Thousands of Egyptians defied a ban on protests by returning to Egypt's streets on Wednesday and calling for President Hosni Mubarak to leave office, and some scuffled with police. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic
10. Plainclothes police arrest a protester during clashes in Cairo January 26, 2011. Thousands of Egyptians defied a ban on protests by returning to Egypt's streets on Wednesday and calling for President Hosni Mubarak to leave office, and some scuffled with police. REUTERS/Asmaa Waguih
11. Riot police stand on a street during clashes with protesters in Cairo January 26, 2011. Thousands of Egyptians defied a ban on protests by returning to Egypt's streets on Wednesday and calling for President Hosni Mubarak to leave office, and some scuffled with police. REUTERS/Asmaa Waguih
12. Riot police clash with protesters in Cairo January 26, 2011. Thousands of Egyptians defied a ban on protests by returning to Egypt's streets on Wednesday and calling for President Hosni Mubarak to leave office, and some scuffled with police. REUTERS/Asmaa Waguih
13. Plainclothes police arrest a protester during clashes in Cairo January 26, 2011. Thousands of Egyptians defied a ban on protests by returning to Egypt's streets on Wednesday and calling for President Hosni Mubarak to leave office, and some scuffled with police. REUTERS/Asmaa Waguih
14. Anti-government protesters clash with riot police near burning tyres placed as a barricade during clashes in Cairo January 26, 2011. Thousands of Egyptians defied a ban on protests by returning to Egypt's streets on Wednesday and calling for President Hosni Mubarak to leave office, and some scuffled with police. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
15. People surround the ambulance transporting Gharib Abdelaziz Abdellatif in the port city in Suez, about 134 km (83 miles) east of Cairo, January 26, 2011. Gharib, 45, died of internal bleeding after police shot him in the stomach on Wednesday, according to medical sources. Police fought with thousands of Egyptians who defied a government ban on Wednesday to protest against President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year-old rule, firing rubber bullets and tear gas and dragging away demonstrators. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany
16. Teargas is used during anti-government protests after the funeral of Gharib Abdel Aziz in the port city in Suez, about 134 km (83 miles) east of Cairo, January 26, 2011. Gharib, 45, died of internal bleeding after police shot him in the stomach on Wednesday, according to medical sources. Police fought with thousands of Egyptians who defied a government ban on Wednesday to protest against President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year-old rule, firing rubber bullets and tear gas and dragging away demonstrators. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany
17. A relative of Gharib Abdelaziz Abdellatif holds onto the ambulance carrying him in the port city in Suez, about 134 km (83 miles) east of Cairo, January 26, 2011. Gharib, 45, died of internal bleeding after police shot him in the stomach on Wednesday, according to medical sources. Police fought with thousands of Egyptians who defied a government ban on Wednesday to protest against President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year-old rule, firing rubber bullets and tear gas and dragging away demonstrators. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany
18. People, including relatives of Gharib Abdelaziz Abdellatif, attempt to enter the hospital grounds to retrieve his body in the port city in Suez, about 134 km (83 miles) east of Cairo, January 26, 2011. Gharib, 45, died of internal bleeding after police shot him in the stomach on Wednesday, according to medical sources. Police fought with thousands of Egyptians who defied a government ban on Wednesday to protest against President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year-old rule, firing rubber bullets and tear gas and dragging away demonstrators. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany
19. A relative of Gharib Abdelaziz Abdellatif cries during his funeral in the port city in Suez, about 134 km (83 miles) east of Cairo, January 26, 2011. Gharib, 45, died of internal bleeding after police shot him in the stomach on Wednesday, according to medical sources. Police fought with thousands of Egyptians who defied a government ban on Wednesday to protest against President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year-old rule, firing rubber bullets and tear gas and dragging away demonstrators. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany
20. Police surround protesters in front of the press syndicate in Cairo January 27, 2011. Egyptian police fought protesters in two cities in eastern Egypt on Thursday and Nobel Peace Prize winner Mohamed ElBaradei headed back to the country to join demonstrators trying to oust President Hosni Mubarak. REUTERS/Asmaa Waguih
21. Mohamed Atef lies on the ground after being shot in the head while demonstrating in the town of Sheikh Zoweid, 344 km (214 miles) northeast of Cairo, January 27, 2011. Security forces shot dead Mohamed, a Bedouin protester, in the north of Egypt's Sinai region on Thursday, eyewitnesses and a security source said. The 22-year-old man was shot in the head while demonstrating in the town of Sheikh Zoweid, they said. Security forces fired tear gas to disperse dozens of protesters. REUTERS/Stringer
22. Mohamed Atef is carried after being shot in the head while demonstrating in the town of Sheikh Zoweid, 344 km (214 miles) northeast of Cairo, January 27, 2011. Security forces shot dead Mohamed, a Bedouin protester, in the north of Egypt's Sinai region on Thursday, eyewitnesses and a security source said. The 22-year-old man was shot in the head while demonstrating in the town of Sheikh Zoweid, they said. Security forces fired tear gas to disperse dozens of protesters. REUTERS/Stringer
23. Mohamed Atef lies on the ground after being shot in the head while demonstrating in the town of Sheikh Zoweid, 344 km (214 miles) northeast of Cairo, January 27, 2011. Security forces shot dead Mohamed, a Bedouin protester, in the north of Egypt's Sinai region on Thursday, eyewitnesses and a security source said. The 22-year-old man was shot in the head while demonstrating in the town of Sheikh Zoweid, they said. Security forces fired tear gas to disperse dozens of protesters. REUTERS/Stringer
24. Egyptian anti-government protesters attack a riot police car at the port city in Suez, about 134 km (83 miles) east of Cairo east of Cairo, January 27, 2011. Police fired rubber bullets, water cannon and tear gas at hundreds of demonstrators in Suez on a third day of protests calling for an end to President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year-old rule. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany
25. Protesters scuffle with riot police during a demonstration outside the press syndicate in central Cairo January 27, 2011. Demonstrations demanding the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak, in power since 1981, have raged since Tuesday in several Egyptian cities, with the biggest clashes in Cairo and Suez. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis (EGYPT - Tags: CIVIL UNREST POLITICS)
26. Mariam Solayman, a member of an Egyptian activist group, shouts anti-government slogans in front of a police cordon during a demonstration outside the press syndicate in central Cairo January 27, 2011. Demonstrations demanding the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak, in power since 1981, have raged since Tuesday in several Egyptian cities, with the biggest clashes in Cairo and Suez. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis
27. Egyptian anti-government protesters start a fire in the fire station in Suez, about 134 km (83 miles) east of Cairo, January 27, 2011. Police fired rubber bullets, water cannon and tear gas at hundreds of demonstrators in the eastern city of Suez, on a third day of protests calling for an end to President Hosni Mubarak's 30 year-old-rule, a witness said. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany
28. A protester displays a message on a placard of the Egyptian flag during a demonstration outside the press syndicate in central Cairo January 27, 2011. Demonstrations demanding the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak, in power since 1981, have raged since Tuesday in several Egyptian cities, with the biggest clashes in Cairo and Suez. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis
29. An Egyptian anti-government protester prepares to throw a burning object at the Suez Fire Station at the port city of Suez, about 134 km (83 miles) east of Cairo, January 27, 2011. Police fired rubber bullets, water cannon and tear gas at hundreds of demonstrators in the eastern city of Suez, on a third day of protests calling for an end to President Hosni Mubarak's 30 year-old-rule, a witness said. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany
30. Egyptian anti-government protesters throw Molotov cocktails at the Suez Fire Station at the port city of Suez, about 134 km (83 miles) east of Cairo, January 27, 2011. Police fired rubber bullets, water cannon and tear gas at hundreds of demonstrators in the eastern city of Suez, on a third day of protests calling for an end to President Hosni Mubarak's 30 year-old-rule. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany
31. Egyptian riot police try to extinguish flames on their shields after anti-government protesters threw burning objects at them in the port city of Suez, about 134 km (83 miles) east of Cairo, January 27, 2011. Police fired rubber bullets, water cannon and tear gas at hundreds of demonstrators in the eastern city of Suez, on a third day of protests calling for an end to President Hosni Mubarak's 30 year-old-rule. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany
32. Riot police form a wall behind a burning barricade set up by anti-government protesters in the port city of Suez, about 134 km (83 miles) east of Cairo, January 27, 2011. Police fired rubber bullets, water cannon and tear gas at hundreds of demonstrators in the eastern city of Suez, on a third day of protests calling for an end to President Hosni Mubarak's 30 year-old-rule. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany
33. Smoke rises from objects being burnt to form a roadblock as people react after Mohamed Atef was shot in the head while demonstrating in the town of Sheikh Zoweid, 344 km (214 miles) northeast of Cairo, January 27, 2011. Security forces shot dead Mohamed, a Bedouin protester, in the north of Egypt's Sinai region on Thursday, eyewitnesses and a security source said. The 22-year-old man was shot in the head while demonstrating in the town of Sheikh Zoweid, they said. Security forces fired tear gas to disperse dozens of protesters. REUTERS/Stringer
34. Anti-government protesters run as they throw objects at riot police in the port city of Suez, about 134 km (83 miles) east of Cairo, January 27, 2011. Police fired rubber bullets, water cannon and tear gas at hundreds of demonstrators in the eastern city of Suez, on a third day of protests calling for an end to President Hosni Mubarak's 30 year-old-rule. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany
35. Anti-government protesters use fire extinguishers outside the Suez fire station in the port city in Suez, about 134 km (83 miles) east of Cairo east of Cairo, January 27, 2011. Police fired rubber bullets, water cannon and tear gas at hundreds of demonstrators in the eastern city of Suez, on a third day of protests calling for an end to Mubarak's 30 year-old-rule, a witness said. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany
36. Police officers carry an injured colleague during clashes with anti-government protesters in the port city of Suez, about 134 km (83 miles) east of Cairo, January 27, 2011. Police fired rubber bullets, water cannon and tear gas at hundreds of demonstrators in the eastern city of Suez, on a third day of protests calling for an end to President Hosni Mubarak's 30 year-old-rule. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany
37. An anti-government protester holds a tear gas canister fired by the police during clashes in the port city of Suez, about 134 km (83 miles) east of Cairo, January 27, 2011. Police fired rubber bullets, water cannon and tear gas at hundreds of demonstrators in the eastern city of Suez, on a third day of protests calling for an end to President Hosni Mubarak's 30 year-old-rule. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany
38. A police officer kicks away a tear gas canister during clashes with anti-government protesters in the port city of Suez, about 134 km (83 miles) east of Cairo, January 27, 2011. Police fired rubber bullets, water cannon and tear gas at hundreds of demonstrators in the eastern city of Suez, on a third day of protests calling for an end to President Hosni Mubarak's 30 year-old-rule. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany
39. Anti-government demonstrators watch as tear gas is fired by police in an attempt to disperse them in the port city of Suez, about 134 km (83 miles) east of Cairo, January 27, 2011. Police fired rubber bullets, water cannon and tear gas at hundreds of demonstrators in the eastern city of Suez, on a third day of protests calling for an end to President Hosni Mubarak's 30 year-old-rule. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany
40. Riot police stand near their vehicle during clashes with anti-government protesters in the port city of Suez, about 134 km (83 miles) east of Cairo, January 27, 2011. Police fired rubber bullets, water cannon and tear gas at hundreds of demonstrators in the eastern city of Suez, on a third day of protests calling for an end to President Hosni Mubarak's 30 year-old-rule. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany
41. Firefighters attempt to extinguish a fire on a police vehicle during clashes with anti-government protesters in the port city of Suez, about 134 km (83 miles) east of Cairo, January 27, 2011. Police fired rubber bullets, water cannon and tear gas at hundreds of demonstrators in the eastern city of Suez, on a third day of protests calling for an end to President Hosni Mubarak's 30 year-old-rule. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany
42. Egyptian reformed campaigner Mohamed ElBaradei talks to journalists outside Cairo's airport, January 27, 2011. ElBaradei said he expected large demonstrations across Egypt on Friday and that the time had come for President Hosni Mubarak to leave power. REUTERS/Stringer
43. Smoke rises from a fire burning at the Suez fire station during clashes between anti-government protesters and the police in the port city of Suez, about 134 km (83 miles) east of Cairo east of Cairo, January 27, 2011. Police fired rubber bullets, water cannon and tear gas at hundreds of demonstrators in Suez on a third day of protests calling for an end to President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year-old rule. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany
44. Plainclothes police arrest an anti-government protester during clashes in the port city of Suez, about 134 km (83 miles) east of Cairo, January 27, 2011. Police fired rubber bullets, water cannon and tear gas at hundreds of demonstrators in the eastern city of Suez, on a third day of protests calling for an end to President Hosni Mubarak's 30 year-old-rule. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany
45. An anti-government protester reacts as his relative is injured during clashes with riot police in the port city in Suez, about 134 km (83 miles) east of Cairo east of Cairo, January 27, 2011. Police fired rubber bullets, water cannon and tear gas at hundreds of demonstrators in Suez on a third day of protests calling for an end to President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year-old rule. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany
46. An anti-government protester uses a fire extinguisher in the port city of Suez, about 134 km (83 miles) east of Cairo, January 27, 2011. Police fired rubber bullets, water cannon and tear gas at hundreds of demonstrators in the eastern city of Suez, on a third day of protests calling for an end to Mubarak's 30 year-old-rule, a witness said. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany
47. An anti-government protester throws objects at a riot police vehicle in the port city of Suez, about 134 km (83 miles) east of Cairo, January 27, 2011. Police fired rubber bullets, water cannon and tear gas at hundreds of demonstrators in Suez on a third day of protests calling for an end to President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year-old rule. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany
48. Police officers carry an injured colleague during clashes with anti-government protesters in the port city of Suez, about 134 km (83 miles) east of Cairo, January 27, 2011. Police fired rubber bullets, water cannon and tear gas at hundreds of demonstrators in the eastern city of Suez, on a third day of protests calling for an end to President Hosni Mubarak's 30 year-old-rule. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany (EGYPT - Tags: CIVIL UNREST POLITICS IMAGES OF THE DAY)
49. An anti-government protester throws objects at a riot police car in the port city in Suez, about 134 km (83 miles) east of Cairo east of Cairo, January 27, 2011. Police fired rubber bullets, water cannon and tear gas at hundreds of demonstrators in Suez on a third day of protests calling for an end to President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year-old rule. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany
50. A man holds a sign with a picture of Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak that reads: Dictator Mubarak, get out of Egypt during a protest held in solidarity with the Egyptian protesters, after Friday prayers in Istanbul January 28, 2011. The protest was held to demand the end of Mubarak's 30-year rule as part of a wave of unrest gripping the Middle East. REUTERS/Osman Orsal
51. A plainclothes policeman hits a protester during a demonstration in Cairo January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic
52. A plainclothes policeman speaks with a boy as others beat protesters in Cairo January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic
53. A plainclothes policeman (L) runs to attack a foreign journalist as others beat a protester in front of two boys (not seen in picture) during a demonstration in Cairo January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic )
54. A protester runs in front of a burning barricade during a demonstration in Cairo January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic
55. A protester runs in front of a burning barricade during a demonstration in Cairo January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic
56. An injured protester bleeds during a demonstration in Cairo January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic
58. A protester runs next to a police vehicle after throwing a bag of trash at it during a demonstration in Cairo January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic
59. A protester walks in front of a burning police vehicle in Cairo January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic
60. A protester gestures in front of a burning barricade during a demonstration in Cairo January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic
61. A protester stands in front of a burning barricade during a demonstration in Cairo January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic
62. A protester gestures in front of riot police during a demonstration in Cairo January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic
63. Smoke bellows over Cairo following clashes between protesters and police January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis
64. Egyptian demonstrators brave police water canons and tear gas during a protest in Cairo after Friday prayers January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis
65. A protester holds an Egyptian flag as he stands in front of water canons during clashes in Cairo January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis
66. A protester lies on the ground after inhaling tear gas during a demonstration in Cairo January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic
67. Protesters fall to the ground as they inhale tear gas during a demonstration in Cairo January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic
68. A protester gestures near a burning barricade during a demonstration in Cairo January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic
69. Police officers clash with demonstrators during a protest in Cairo January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis
70. A demonstrator (L) argues with police during a protest in Cairo January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis
71. A demonstrator stands in front of police water canons during a protest in Cairo January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis
72. Anti-government demonstrators (bottom) face off against riot police in Cairo January 28, 2011. President Hosni Mubarak imposed a curfew and ordered troops to back up police as they struggled to control crowds who flooded the streets of Cairo and other Egyptian cities on Friday to demand that he step down. REUTERS/Kyodo
73. A protester holds stones as he shouts at police during clashes in Cairo January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic
74. Smoke billows over mosques in Cairo following clashes between protesters and police January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis
75. A riot police officer fires tear gas during clashes in Cairo January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Asmaa Waguih
76. A protester holds up an Egyptian flag during clashes in Cairo January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Asmaa Waguih
77. A protester runs with a tear gas canister to throw back to the police during clashes in Cairo January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis
78. Protesters disable a police van by removing its batteries during clashes in Cairo January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis
79. An injured Egyptian riot policeman is given first aid by protesters during clashes in Cairo January 28, 2011. President Hosni Mubarak sent troops and armoured cars onto the streets of Cairo and other Egyptian cities on Friday in an attempt to quell street fighting and mass protests demanding an end to his 30-year rule. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis
80. A protester displays a teargas canister during clashes in Cairo January 28, 2011. President Hosni Mubarak sent troops and armoured cars onto the streets of Cairo and other Egyptian cities on Friday in an attempt to quell street fighting and mass protests demanding an end to his 30-year rule. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis
81. Protesters stand near the burning headquarters of the ruling National Democratic Party in Cairo January 28, 2011. The headquarters of the ruling National Democratic Party were ablaze in Cairo on Friday night, shortly after a curfew came into force. NDP branch offices in several other cities around the country were also set on fire or attacked during the day, witnesses said. REUTERS/Asma Waguih
82. Protesters stand near the burning headquarters of the ruling National Democratic Party in Cairo January 28, 2011. The headquarters of the ruling National Democratic Party were ablaze in Cairo on Friday night, shortly after a curfew came into force. NDP branch offices in several other cities around the country were also set on fire or attacked during the day, witnesses said. REUTERS/Asma Waguih
83. Protesters stand near the burning headquarters of the ruling National Democratic Party in Cairo January 28, 2011. The headquarters of the ruling National Democratic Party were ablaze in Cairo on Friday night, shortly after a curfew came into force. NDP branch offices in several other cities around the country were also set on fire or attacked during the day, witnesses said. REUTERS/Asma Waguih
84. A protester burns a picture of Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak during clashes in Cairo January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
85. Protesters stand near a burning police vehicle in Cairo January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
86. A protester looks at a burnt Egyptian Army armoured vehicle in downtown Cairo January 28, 2011. President Hosni Mubarak ordered troops into Egyptian cities on Friday in an attempt to quell street fighting and growing mass protests demanding an end to his 30-year rule. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic
87. A protester sets fire to the entrance of the ruling National Democratic Party building in Cairo January 28, 2011. President Hosni Mubarak ordered troops into Egyptian cities on Friday in an attempt to quell street fighting and growing mass protests demanding an end to his 30-year rule. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic
88. Protesters stand in front of a burnt Egyptian Army armoured vehicle in downtown Cairo January 28, 2011. President Hosni Mubarak ordered troops into Egyptian cities on Friday in an attempt to quell street fighting and growing mass protests demanding an end to his 30-year rule. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic
89. A protester walks in front of a fire in downtown Cairo January 28, 2011. President Hosni Mubarak ordered troops into Egyptian cities on Friday in an attempt to quell street fighting and growing mass protests demanding an end to his 30-year rule. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic
90. A protester walks in front of a fire in downtown Cairo January 28, 2011. President Hosni Mubarak ordered troops into Egyptian cities on Friday in an attempt to quell street fighting and growing mass protests demanding an end to his 30-year rule. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic
91. A protester flashes a victory sign in front of police during clashes in Cairo January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
92. Protesters flee through a cloud of tear gas during clashes in Cairo January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
93. Protesters flee from charging police during clashes in Cairo January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
94. Police beat a protester during clashes in Cairo January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
95. A protester kisses a police officer during a demonstration in Cairo January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
96. Martina Bashai (L), Mariam Aziz (C) of Washington, D.C., and Tamer ElAzzony (R) of Virginia shout during a protest rally organized by the Egyptian Association for Change in the U.S. (EAC-USA) in front of the White House in Washington January 28, 2011. The United States increased pressure on Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak Friday to institute reforms, urging the government to view its people as a partner not a threat during unprecedented protests in Cairo. REUTERS/Hyungwon Kang
97. People shout anti-Mubarak slogans and wave Egypt flags during a protest rally organized by the Egyptian Association for Change in the U.S. (EAC-USA) in front of the White House in Washington January 28, 2011. The United States increased pressure on Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak Friday to institute reforms, urging the government to view its people as a partner not a threat during unprecedented protests in Cairo. REUTERS/Hyungwon Kang
98. A plainclothes police officer points his weapon at protesters while guarding a police station during demonstrations in Cairo January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
99. Protesters run next to a burning police van set on fire earlier by protesters in Suez January 28, 2011. President Hosni Mubarak imposed a curfew and ordered troops to back up police as they struggled to control crowds who flooded the streets of Cairo and other Egyptian cities on Friday to demand that he step down. REUTERS/Mohamed Abdel Ghany
100. Protesters march during an anti-government demonstration in Suez January 28, 2011. Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak said he was committed to economic and political reform and was determined to secure the stability of Egypt in a televised address to the nation after a day of anti-government protests. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany
101. Smoke covers the sky during clashes between police and protesters in Suez January 28, 2011. Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak said he was committed to economic and political reform and was determined to secure the stability of Egypt in a televised address to the nation after a day of anti-government protests. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany
102. Protesters carry a carpet with an image of Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak, with a shoe placed on it, in Suez January 28, 2011. Mubarak imposed a curfew and ordered troops to back up police as they struggled to control crowds who flooded the streets of Cairo and other Egyptian cities on Friday to demand that he step down. REUTERS/Mohamed Abdel Ghany
103. Protesters stand in front of the burning entrance of the ruling National Democratic Party building in Cairo January 28, 2011. President Hosni Mubarak ordered troops into Egyptian cities on Friday in an attempt to quell street fighting and growing mass protests demanding an end to his 30-year rule. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic
104. In this still image taken from video, Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak addresses the nation on Egyptian state TV in Cairo January 28, 2011. Mubarak called for dialogue and said he would name a new government on January 29, 2011. REUTERS/Handout
105. Veiled Egyptian women run into a mosque to avoid teargas during clashes in Cairo January 28, 2011. President Hosni Mubarak said on Saturday that Egypt needed dialogue not violence to end problems that led to days of protests and said he was sacking his government, speaking in an address on state television. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis
106. A protester attends to an injured man during clashes in Cairo January 28, 2011. President Hosni Mubarak said on Saturday that Egypt needed dialogue not violence to end problems that led to days of protests and said he was sacking his government, speaking in an address on state television. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis
107. Protesters stand in front of a police water cannon during clashes in Cairo January 28, 2011. President Hosni Mubarak said on Saturday that Egypt needed dialogue not violence to end problems that led to days of protests and said he was sacking his government, speaking in an address on state television. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis
108. A protester stands in front of riot police and a water cannon outside a mosque after Friday prayers in Cairo January 28, 2011. President Hosni Mubarak said on Saturday that Egypt needed dialogue not violence to end problems that led to days of protests and said he was sacking his government, speaking in an address on state television. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis
109. Egyptian soldiers stand on top of an armoured vehicle in Cairo January 29, 2011. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak clung to power on Saturday as protesters took to the streets again to demand that he quit. Mubarak ordered troops and tanks into the capital Cairo and other cities overnight and imposed a curfew in an attempt to quell demonstrations that have shaken the Arab world's most populous nation, a key U.S. ally, to the core. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic
110. Egyptian army soldiers stand beside an armoured tank at Tahrir Square after wide-spread protests in downtown Cairo January 29, 2011. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak refused on Saturday to bow to demands that he resign after ordering troops and tanks into cities in an attempt to quell an explosion of street protests against his 30-year rule. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
111. An Egyptian army soldier sit by a pavement after after clashing with protesters at Tahrir Square after wide-spread protests in downtown Cairo January 29, 2011. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak refused on Saturday to bow to demands that he resign after ordering troops and tanks into cities in an attempt to quell an explosion of street protests against his 30-year rule. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
112. Egyptian army soldiers confront riot police as protesters take cover at Tahrir Square in downtown Cairo after wide-spread protests early January 29, 2011. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak refused on Saturday to bow to demands that he resign after ordering troops and tanks into cities in an attempt to quell an explosion of street protests against his 30-year rule. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
113. An Egyptian anti-government protester shields himself during clashes with riot police at Tahrir Square in downtown Cairo after wide-spread protests early January 29, 2011. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak refused on Saturday to bow to demands that he resign after ordering troops and tanks into cities in an attempt to quell an explosion of street protests against his 30-year rule. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
114. Riot police gesture while holding their guns during a protest by anti-government demonstrators at Tahrir Square in downtown Cairo after wide-spread protests early January 29, 2011. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak refused on Saturday to bow to demands that he resign after ordering troops and tanks into cities in an attempt to quell an explosion of street protests against his 30-year rule. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
115. An Egyptian anti-government protester sits next to Egyptian army soldiers at Tahrir Square in downtown Cairo after wide-spread protests early January 29, 2011. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak refused on Saturday to bow to demands that he resign after ordering troops and tanks into cities in an attempt to quell an explosion of street protests against his 30-year rule. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
116. An Egyptian anti-government protester shields himself during clashes with riot police at Tahrir Square in downtown Cairo after wide-spread protests early January 29, 2011. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak refused on Saturday to bow to demands that he resign after ordering troops and tanks into cities in an attempt to quell an explosion of street protests against his 30-year rule. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
117. Protesters cheer for the army soldiers in central Cairo January 29, 2011. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak refused on Saturday to bow to demands that he resign after ordering troops and tanks into cities in an attempt to quell an explosion of street protests against his 30-year rule. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis
118. Protesters parade with Egyptian flags in Cairo January 29, 2011. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak refused on Saturday to bow to demands that he resign after ordering troops and tanks into cities in an attempt to quell an explosion of street protests against his 30-year rule. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis
119. Protesters cheer for the army soldiers in central Cairo January 29, 2011. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak refused on Saturday to bow to demands that he resign after ordering troops and tanks into cities in an attempt to quell an explosion of street protests against his 30-year rule. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis
120. A youth takes photos of the burning building of the ruling National Democratic party in Cairo January 29, 2011. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak refused on Saturday to bow to demands that he resign after ordering troops and tanks into cities in an attempt to quell an explosion of street protests against his 30-year rule. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis
121. Protesters flee from tear gas fire during clashes in Cairo January 28, 2011. Police and demonstrators fought running battles on the streets of Cairo on Friday in a fourth day of unprecedented protests by tens of thousands of Egyptians demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's three-decade rule. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
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Violence erupts in Alexandria shortly after Egyptian president's announcement that he will not seek another term.
Al Jazeera Online Producer Last Modified: 02 Feb 2011 02:25 GMT
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CAIRO, EGYPT - Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian president, has announced in a televised address that he will not run for re-election but refused to step down from office - the central demand of millions of protesters who have demonstrated across Egypt over the past week. His announcement follows a week of protests, in which millions of people have taken to the streets in Cairo and elsewhere. Mubarak seemed largely unfazed by the protests during his recorded address, which aired at 11pm local time on Tuesday. Shortly after his speech, clashes broke out between pro-Mubarak and anti-government protesters in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria, Al Jazeera's correspondent reported.
Rock-throwing youths at the city's Mahatit Masr Square scattered as automatic gunfire rang out and a tank advanced towards them before halting and then withdrawing. There was no sign of any casualties. Mubarak's words were unlikely to carry much weight with the protesters at Cairo's Tahrir, or Liberation, Square: they resumed their "Leave, Mubarak!" chant shortly after his speech, and added a few new slogans, like "we won't leave tomorrow, we won't leave Thursday ..." Mubarak mentioned the protests at the beginning of his speech, and said that "the young people" have the right to peaceful demonstrations. But his tone quickly turned accusatory, saying the protesters had been "taken advantage of" by people trying to "undermine the government". Until now officials had indicated Mubarak, 82, was likely to run for a sixth six-year term of office. But in his address on Tuesday, Mubarak said he never intended to run for re-election. "I will use the remaining months of my term in office to fill the people's demands," he said. That would leave Mubarak in charge of overseeing a transitional government until the next presidential election, currently scheduled for September. Economy and jobs Mubarak promised reforms to the constitution, particularly Article 76, which makes it virtually impossible for independent candidates to run for office. And he said his government would focus on improving the economy and providing jobs. "My new government will be responsive to the needs of young people," he said. "It will fulfil those legitimate demands and help the return of stability and security."
Mubarak also made a point of saying that he would "die in this land" - a message to protesters that he did not plan to flee into exile like recently deposed Tunisian president, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. Marwan Bishara, Al Jazeera's senior political analyst, said: "It is clear that President Mubarak is in denial over his legacy. "Until Friday we are probably going to watch a major escalation of tension in events both between the demonstrators on the one hand and the regime of Mubarak on the other." Mohamed ElBaradei, the Egyptian opposition figure who returned to Cairo to take part in the protests, said Mubarak's pledge not to stand again for the presidency was an act of deception. ElBaradei, a Nobel peace prize winner as head of the UN nuclear agency, said if Mubarak did not heed the call to leave power at once, he would be "not only a lame-duck president but a dead man walking". "He's unfortunately going to extend the agony here for another six, seven months. He continues to polarise the country. He continues to get people even more angry and could [resort] to violence," ElBaradei said. Indeed, none of the protesters interviewed by Al Jazeera earlier today said they would accept Mubarak finishing his term in office. "He needs to leave now," Hassan Moussa said in Tahrir Square just hours before Mubarak's announcement. "We won't accept him leaving in September, or handing power to [newly installed vice-president] Omar Suleiman. He needs to leave now." Waiting game The protests continue to feel like a waiting game - as if Mubarak is hoping to simply outlast the crowds amassed at Tahrir Square. "When the people of a nation decide something, then it will happen," Abdullah Said Ahmed, a student from Al-Azhar University, said. "The United States chooses its leaders. We're going to choose ours. Our patience can do anything."
Saber Shanan said: "I'll stay here until I die or until the system changes." Mubarak's announcement came after pressure from the US administration, which urged him not to seek re-election. Frank Wisner, a former ambassador to Egypt, met Mubarak on Monday and reportedly told him not to extend his time in office. In remarks to the media at the White House on Tuesday evening, Barack Obama, the US president, said he had spoken with Mubarak who he said "recognises that the status quo is not sustainable and a change must take place". Obama said he told Mubarak that an orderly transition must be meaningful and peaceful, must begin now and must include opposition parties. Obama emphasised, however, that "it is not the role of any other country to determine Egypt's leaders". |
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