Unrest in Egypt
Follow Reuters' coverage as a wave of unrest grips Egypt
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Al Jazeera reports that ambulances have finally moved into Tahrir Square, where hundreds of demonstrators are reported to be injured in clashes as supporters of President Mubarak continue to fiercely attack anti-government demonstrators with petrol bombs and sticks. -
More first-hand accounts of the violence against demonstrators in Tahrir Square are being reported on Twitter by correspondents and bloggers on the scene or nearby. Here's a sampling:
CNN's Ivan Watson: "Below our window, sounds like a medieval castle seige. Men digging up stones for ammo. Wounded sreaming. Prayers."
Al Jazeera's Gregg Carlstom: "There are people dropping homemade bombs into Tahrir from the surrounding buildings. Gunshots occassionally echoing across downtwon."
Sky News' Tim Marshall: "Counted about 23 live fire round over about an hour in sq. Prob in air. Fighting broke out into st by intercontinental."
Al Jazeera's Dan Nolan: "2 sides faced off for 15 mins, no violence just war of chants then kaboom? Don't know what exactly ignited it but boy did it turn ugly fast!" -
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Here are a few of the details from our correspondents on the scene of the clashes in Cairo today:
Troops made no attempt to intervene as opposing factions clashed in the vast, central Tahrir (Liberation) Square, the focus of the protests. Attackers brandished baseball bats and iron bars and broke up pieces of paving stones to throw.
Earlier, pro-Mubarak youths were bussed into various districts of the capital and the carnival atmosphere of the last 48 hours turned menacing.
Reuters correspondents saw dozens of injured and people fleeing in panic. One of the riders who wielded whips and sticks as they galloped into the crowd was dragged from his horse and beaten.
Petrol bombs landed in the gardens of the Egyptian Museum, an Egyptologist said.
Read our full wrap-up: www.reuters.com -
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An Egyptian Facebook activist and leader of an online group supporting the protesters has been arrested in Cario, according to Wired.com. www.wired.com
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A poll published by the U.S.-based Pew Research Center in December found that Egyptians want Islam to play a large role in politics, reject radical Islamists and think democracy is the best political system. Reuters' religion editor Tom Heneghan takes a closer look at the data. www.reuters.com
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Anti-government protesters said on Thursday they were more determined than ever to topple President Hosni Mubarak . www.reuters.com -
Griff Witte from the Washington Post describes how President Hosni Mubarak still has support, from rich and poor.
“For eight days, pro-democracy demonstrators roared their belief that Egypt's 80 million people were ready to oust President Hosni Mubarak and start anew with elections.
But the melee that unfolded Wednesday in the capital when Mubarak supporters stormed the opposition-occupied Tahrir Square suggests that there are many in Egypt who are deeply invested in the current system - and will fight to preserve it.
While protesters call Mubarak's three-decade reign a disaster, a cross-section of Egyptians has much to lose when Mubarak leaves office.
Businessmen with rich government contracts, civil servants, security officers, ruling-party activists and poor Egyptians who fear the instability that has descended on their country in recent days - all have a stake in ensuring that whoever comes after Mubarak changes as little as possible.”
Read the full article, here: wapo.st
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Read our latest analysis of the Egyptian violence on www.reuters.com
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Prominent opposition activist Mohamed ElBaradei and the Muslim Brotherhood rejected a call on Thursday by the prime minister for talks saying President Hosni Mubarak must leave office first, they told Reuters on Thursday. To read more on this visit www.reuters.com
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Egyptians comment on violence. See our latest factbox on www.reuters.com
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Egyptian State TV is now reporting that the vice president says President Mubarak’s son Gamal will not run for president in upcoming elections. He also said the government is releasing all youth detained in protests who were not involved in criminal acts and will punish all those involved in inciting violence and lawlessness in Tahrir Square.
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While there is likely a significant amount of support for Mubarak still, the people who attacked Tahrir Square are not suggestive of it, indeed if anything the opposite, indicating that Mubarak doesn't have sufficient pop support to weather the protests w/o escalating to violence.
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As mentioned earlier, Egypt has placed a travel ban on some ex-government ministers. Those affected by the ban are former interior minister Habib al-Adly, former housing minister Ahmed el-Maghrabi and former tourism minister Zuhair Garana. Former National Democratic Party member Ahmed Ezz was also among those banned from leaving the country. www.reuters.com
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The violence in Egypt has prompted new calls from Western leaders for President Hosni Mubarak to start handing over power immediately.
In a strongly worded joint statement issued earlier, Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Spain said “We are observing a deterioration of the situation in Egypt with extreme concern. We condemn all those who use or encourage violence, which will only worsen Egypt's political crisis. Only a rapid and orderly transition towards a broadly representative government will allow Egypt to overcome the challenges that it is facing. This process of transition must start now.”
Separately, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she spoke with President Mubarak and told him dialogue must begin now. She said he must let people hold peaceful demonstrations and attacks on Egyptian demonstrators must stop.
Our world desk in London has rounded up more reaction, which can be found here: www.reuters.com -
Elsewhere in North Africa, Algeria's state of emergency will be lifted in the "very near future", the official state news agency there quoted President Adbedlaziz Bouteflika as saying. He also said that TV and radio outlets should give airtime to all political parties and that lawful protest marches will now be permitted, but not in the capital Algiers.
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An estimated 150 people have been killed in Egypt since the protests against President Mubarak’s regime began ten days ago. Here is a timeline of events so far, compiled by the Reuters editorial reference desk in London: www.reuters.com
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An Al Jazeera online producer shot this bird’s-eye view video of anti-government protesters breaking through throngs of Mubarak loyalists in downtown Cairo on Thursday. Follow Al Jazeera English's live coverage now on its YouTube channel www.youtube.com
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