Mubarak tells ABC his resignation would cause chaos

By the CNN Wire Staff

Cairo, Egypt (CNN) -- Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Thursday blamed the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood for the violence unfolding in Cairo and said he would like to step down right away, but cannot because he does not want to risk plunging his nation into chaos, ABC News reported.
Mubarak told ABC correspondent Christiane Amanpour that he was troubled by the bloody clashes that broke out Wednesday in Tahrir Square, the center of anti-government demonstrations.
As the United States and other countries condemned increasing attacks on journalists and diplomats, Mubarak rejected the notion that government instigated the violence, instead blaming the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamist umbrella group that is banned in Egypt.
"I don't care what people say about me," Mubarak told ABC. "Right now I care about my country, I care about Egypt."I was very unhappy about yesterday. I do not want to see Egyptians fighting each other," he said in the interview, which was conducted at the heavily guarded presidential palace where the embattled leader has been staying with his family.


Mubarak told ABC that U.S. President Barack Obama is a very good man but bristled at the notion of an ally's interference in internal problems. He said he told Obama: "You don't understand the Egyptian culture and what would happen if I step down now."


Obama has said he told Mubarak a transition must take place, and it "must be meaningful, it must be peaceful and it must begin now."


Mubarak said he never intended to seek re-election. Nor did he intend his son, Gamal, who was believed to be groomed as Mubarak's successor, to seek the post. He made the comment to Amanpour in his son's presence.\


Vice President Omar Suleiman, tapped as Mubarak's vice president last Saturday, publicly announced Thursday that Gamal Mubarak will not stand in September elections.


Mubarak, who has ruled Egypt for three decades, announced his decision to not run again last week. But that concession has not been enough for tens of thousands of protesters demanding immediate change.


His regime moved Thursday to quell the deadly revolt, telling protesters their demands had been met and cracking down on journalists and human rights activists bearing witness to the crisis.


All day long, Mubarak's supporters and foes clashed again to retain control of Tahrir Square, the central city plaza that has become the symbol of the 10-day Egyptian uprising. Many looked like medieval warriors, toting handcrafted shields while throwing stones and other objects.


Top government leaders vowed to hold accountable perpetrators of the bloodshed and told protesters to return home."I want to thank the youth for all you have done," Suleiman said on state-run Nile TV. "You are the lights that have ignited reform in this period. Please give the (government a) chance to play its role. All of your demands have been met."


Mubarak supporters, some believed to be paid government thugs, converged with anti-government crowds Wednesday in a confrontation that quickly evolved into continuing mayhem in Tahrir Square. At least eight people were killed and 836 injured, including 200 wounded within one hour Thursday morning, according to the health ministry.


Journalists covering the crisis also became targets -- beaten, bloodied, harassed and detained by men, most all in some way aligned with Mubarak.Numerous news outlets -- including the BBC, ABC News, the Washington Post and CNN -- reported members of their staffs had either been attacked or arrested. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch also reported that staffers were detained.
In several cases, news personnel were accused of being "foreign spies," seized, whisked away, and often assaulted.


"The Egyptian government is employing a strategy of eliminating witnesses to their actions," said Mohamed Abdel Dayem of the Committee to Protect Journalists."The government has resorted to blanket censorship, intimidation, and today a series of deliberate attacks on journalists carried out by pro-government mobs," he said. "The situation is frightening not only because our colleagues are suffering abuse but because when the press is kept from reporting, we lose an independent source of crucial information."


The U.S. State Department publicly condemned the crackdown on journalists, and officials told CNN they have received reports that Egypt's Interior Ministry was involved.


Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called such attacks "a violation of international norms that guarantee freedom of the press, and it is unacceptable in any circumstances."


Increasingly concerned about the potential for further violence, Clinton called on the government, political parties and others to immediately begin talks "on a peaceful and orderly transition."


The leaders of France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Britain also urged a "rapid and peaceful transition," and the European Union foreign affairs chief, Catherine Ashton, called on Mubarak to act "as quickly as possible."


Egyptian Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq apologized repeatedly for the violence. He blamed infiltrators and a "complete disappearance" of police for the human toll in the "catastrophe."


"This group got in and some clashes happened," Shafiq said, adding that he would look into whether the violence was part of an organized attempt to disband the opposition.


Suleiman said Thursday that unrest has done massive economic damage to the country."Unfortunately, the economic losses every day, I cannot estimate but it's going to have a huge impact in the future," he said. "Continuing with this strike is continuing with the paralysis of the state."A million tourists have left Egypt in the past three days, Suleiman said.


The government froze the bank accounts of former leaders and imposed a travel ban that restricts them from exiting the country, state-run television said. The travel ban will remain in effect "until national security is restored and the authorities and monitoring bodies have undergone their investigations," Nile TV said.


Among the leaders facing the punitive measures is Habib Adli, former minister of the interior, which oversees Egypt's police forces.Earlier, the sound of sustained gunfire echoed through central Cairo. The military maneuvered to separate the two sides but in the afternoon, in parts of the square, the soldiers were nowhere to be seen.Shafiq appealed to his compatriots, especially Egypt's youth, to show patience as the government's leadership goes through the transitional period.


"It has great meaning not to hurt each other, hurt our reputation," he said. "Do they want what happened in Tunisia to happen here?" Shafiq said, referring to the revolt in Tunisia that led to the ouster of the nation's longtime strongman in January and served as inspiration for other nations in the region that have seen similar demonstrations.


Shafiq said he and Suleiman were meeting with the opposition -- including protesters in Tahrir Square. He said no one would be excluded from the national dialogue, including the Muslim Brotherhood.But spokesman Essam El-Erian said the Muslim Brotherhood will not participate in talks with the regime."We refuse to sit with him," El-Erian said Thursday, referring to Suleiman.


Other key opposition groups have also rejected meeting invitations, including the secular liberal Wafd Party and the Al-Ghad party, led by former presidential candidate Ayman Nour.


In the nation's second-largest city of Alexandria, some signs of normality could be seen Thursday as trams returned to the streets for the first time in days.


A group of fishermen said they wanted life to get back to normal, and one Mubarak supporter said the protests in Cairo were humiliating.

Day of uncertainty begins with gunfire in Egypt

By the CNN Wire Staff

Cairo, Egypt (CNN) -- In a way, the events of the past week may have been a prelude to what could happen in Egypt on Thursday.
The military, which has until now said it would not use force on peaceful demonstrators, has urged anti-government protesters to return home. And supporters of embattled President Hosni Mubarak, who had been largely silent since the unrest began, came out in full force Wednesday, in one case wielding whips and thundering through the crowd on horses and camels.
As dawn broke Thursday, heavy gunfire reverberated in central Cairo as the two sides continued to face off at Tahrir Square -- the confrontations portending what awaits when Egypt awakes.
Egypt's minister of health said the number of injuries in Cairo's Tahrir Square has reached 829 -- including 200 within one hour on Thursday morning, state-run Nile TV reported. The minister also said four people were killed in Tahrir Square on Thursday morning.

CNN could not independently verify the figures.
A national security official in U.S. President Barack Obama's administration told CNN that the situation in the country could "turn really ugly" and the next 24 to 48 hours will be critical.
"Will the military continue to act responsibly? Or will it fracture?" said the official, who has been involved in Egypt deliberations. "Will Mubarak get it that the writing is on the wall and that he has to transition out quicker? Not sure anyone has the answers."
Meanwhile, chunks of concretes and Molotov cocktails flew in Tahrir Square during the escalating crisis Thursday.
The wounded were being carried into the square, largely held by anti-regime demonstrators, through an entrance that leads to the nearby Egyptian Museum. Several ambulances entered and left the square shortly before 4 a.m. Thursday.
The source of the gunfire was not immediately known.
Another U.S. official said the administration's conversations with Egyptian officials have turned tense and urgent -- with the U.S. side voicing hope the military will see the reality and pressure Mubarak to step down.
While the official was encouraged by signs that the military was not involved in the violence that broke out Wednesday, allowing such fights between supporters and opponents of Mubarak to go on "could fairly be interpreted as a choice, and a troubling choice."
This official voiced hope that "as time passes, the military will see which side it wants to be on for the good of the country and the society."
Some chanted a prayer Thursday after a day of violent street battles in central Cairo. People also shouted, "No one hurt anyone."

Sustained fire from automatic weapons, including from what sounded like a heavy machine gun, echoed around the square, the epicenter of nine days of protests calling for Mubarak's ouster.
Anti-government demonstrators hunkered down behind makeshift barricades in the square and outside the nearby national museum against the onslaught, which demonstrators said included plainclothes police officers.
"They're coming in with weapons. They're spreading violence," human rights activist Gigi Ibrahim told CNN on Wednesday. "We've had peaceful protests here since Friday and no violence here. Only today were we faced with this really violent reaction."
The pro-government protesters were not impeded by the army when they entered the square Thursday. Anti-regime protesters are now unhappy with troops -- whose commanders had promised Monday not to use force against peaceful demonstrations -- for standing by, he said.
Small fires burned in the square early Thursday, with some spreading to trees and walls.
Reported fatalities in the first eight days of demonstrations ranged as high as 300, but CNN could not independently confirm the death toll.
In one surreal moment, whip-wielding Mubarak supporters thundered through the crowd astride horses and camels, and at least one man was pulled off his mount and beaten. A Mubarak supporter who spoke to CNN said the riders were pyramid workers who were protesting the negative economic impact of the crisis.
"What you are seeing is the demonstration of the real Egyptian people who are trying to take back their country, trying to take back their street," said businessman Khaled Ahmed, who described himself as "pro-Egyptian."
But some observers said the pro-Mubarak push Wednesday was likely orchestrated by a regime bent on breaking up peaceful demonstrations.
"These are tactics that are well-known in Egypt," Michele Dunne, a senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, told CNN's John King.
Robert Kagan of the Brookings Institution said the "rent-a-thugs" were likely sanctioned and paid by the government. This is meant to create an image of chaos so the government can move in to restore order, he said.
"Mubarak has -- now, certainly, with the violence today, but even before that -- lost the confidence of the overwhelming number of the Egyptian people," Kagan said.
Desperate for more ammunition, they dismantled sidewalks and picked up chunks of concrete They beat each other in what rapidly spiraled into utter mayhem.
Hundreds of injured people were treated by doctors and medical staff, who turned to volunteers for assistance.
CNN iReporter Hunter Moore, 26, helped treat the wounded. The U.S. schoolteacher said Tuesday's crowds at Tahrir Square were mostly peaceful. "It went downhill really, really quickly" on Wednesday, he told CNN.
It was unclear whether such confrontations were being repeated elsewhere. Other Cairo neighborhoods were calm, and rallies in Egypt's second-largest city, Alexandria, were largely peaceful.
Mubarak's opponents had stood shoulder to shoulder in Tahrir Square to call for his immediate resignation in a massive rally on Tuesday. The 82-year-old president's announcement that night that he would spend the remaining seven months of his current term working to ensure a "peaceful transition of power" failed to satisfy them, and they vowed to keep up the pressure on him to resign.
The crisis has paralyzed the Egyptian economy, as the government has closed banks, idled trains and shuttered schools. Markets are running short of basic food staples, and the situation is hurting the ability of ordinary citizens to join the demonstrations, opposition activist Ziad Aly told CNN.
"We can't get enough bread. We can't get enough food supplies," he said.
Vice President Omar Suleiman reiterated the government stance that the people have been heard, that they should go home and that they should stop demonstrating. Protesters should respect the curfew and "enable people to return to their jobs and their daily lives, and to allow schools and universities to reopen," he said in a statement.
The state-run television network, Nile TV, sought to portray the unrest as a "foreign conspiracy" fueled by international journalists, several of whom -- including CNN's Anderson Cooper -- were attacked during Wednesday's clashes.
Despite reports that shots had been fired, Nile TV's reporters denied any shooting had taken place or even that violence had broken out in Tahrir Square. The network also said that members of the opposition Muslim Brotherhood were heading to the square "to throw balls of fire and to start acts of riots and violence."
When asked if that were true, Mohamed Morsy, a spokesman for the Muslim Brotherhood, said the action came from all segments of the Egyptian people, "not the Muslim Brotherhood only."
Morsy told CNN's Wolf Blitzer that the time for change is now, not when Mubarak's term ends.
"We need a new era, a new regime," Morsy said. "We have a constitution."
Asked whether Suleiman could lead the government until new elections, Morsy said the head of the country's supreme court should fulfill that role.
Mubarak's government bluntly told outsiders to mind their own business.
"Our interactions within our country are Egyptian affairs and nothing more than that," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hossam Zaki said. Egypt "will continue to be a beacon of moderation and stability in our region," he said, but its people must settle their differences without "intervention from the outside."
Though Mubarak's concessions were large and remarkable for a man who has held a tight grip on power for three decades, it was too little, too late for many Egyptians.
"He is unfortunately going to continue the agony for another six or seven months," opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei said Tuesday night.
However, Mubarak supporter Waleed Tawfik told CNN that not all Egyptians agree that Mubarak should step down immediately.
"Change will not happen overnight. There's not a magical button for change. Change will take time," he said.
The Egyptian army can't sit on the sidelines too much longer, or it could risk unraveling, one foreign policy expert said.
The army needs to pick a course of action by Friday, when more mass protests are expected after prayers, Richard Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations, told CNN's "Parker Spitzer."

The Egyptian crisis is among the aftershocks of the revolt in Tunisia that forced that nation's longtime strongman to flee to Saudi Arabia in January. In Yemen, President Ali Abdullah Saleh -- who has been in office for 32 years -- said Wednesday he will not run for president nor hand over power to his son once his term ends in 2013.

Opposing sides clash in fierce Cairo street battles

By the CNN Wire Staff 

Cairo, Egypt (CNN) -- Pandemonium reigned Wednesday in the epicenter of Cairo's demonstrations, where violent street battles unfolded between supporters and foes of embattled President Hosni Mubarak.


State-run Nile TV flashed a warning ordering people to adhere to a government-imposed curfew and clear out of Tahrir Square. But curfews in the past few days have been largely ignored and a crowd, though a less intense one, remained in the downtown plaza into the night.


Earlier, tear gas and gunshots were fired to quell confrontational crowds and in one surreal moment, demonstrators thundered through the crowds on horses and camels. At least one man was pulled off his horse and beaten.


State television said the riders were pyramid workers who were protesting the negative economic impact of the crisis.Mubarak's announcement Tuesday that he will not seek re-election had been expected to dampen the passion of Egypt's nine-day uprising.


But the opposite rang true, at least in central Cairo's Tahrir Square, where a mob-rule mentality was in sharp contrast to the jubilant mood of tens of thousands of anti-Mubarak protesters the day before.


It remained unclear whether such confrontations were repeated elsewhere. Contesting rallies in Egypt's second-largest city, Alexandria, were largely peaceful. Other Cairo neighborhoods also remained calm.


Events in Egypt "have moved enormously quickly in a very volatile region of the world, the likes of which we have not seen in our lifetime," White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs noted Wednesday."What we're watching," he said, "is history being made."


The sound of gunfire reverberated in Tahrir Square, which means "liberation" in Arabic. People hurled verbal insults, Molotov cocktails, rocks and anything else they could find -- shards of metal, sticks, shoes -- at one another. Desperate for more ammunition, they dismantled sidewalks and picked up chunks of cement to throw. They beat each other in what rapidly spiraled into utter mayhem.


Through the course of the afternoon, pro-Mubarak supporters added to their ranks and eventually overturned a military vehicle to surge forward past the Egyptian National Museum toward the center of Tahrir Square. Flames shot out from the awnings and doorways of several burning buildings and thick black smoke filled the air.


Some people expressed fears to journalists that a bloodbath would ensue.
Scores of people have already been wounded. Blood streaming down their faces, they were carried away from the square into a nearby makeshift clinic.Egypt's health minister said 611 people were injured, Nile TV reported. Many suffered head injuries. Ministry spokesman Abdel Rahman Shaheen also reported the death of a security forces member in an incident at a nearby bridge over the Nile River.


Protesters climbed atop army tanks, waving flags and chanting loudly.Each side in the chilling street battle fought to lay claim to this patch of central Cairo territory that has all along been the symbol of the uprising. But despite the extremely volatile altercations, the police were nowhere to be seen and the army did little to restore order.


Mubarak deployed the army Friday after police forces -- who don't have a clean track record with the Egyptian people -- used excessive force on protesters. The army said it would not attack peaceful demonstrations, but Wednesday morning, it urged a return to normalcy.


"Your message is received ... (your) demands became known," a Defense Ministry spokesman said on Nile TV. "And we are here and awake to protect the country for you ... not by power but by the love to Egypt. It is time to go back to normal life."


But the situation in Tahrir Square raised the issue of how long soldiers would stand by passively."The army seems now to be reneging on its commitment to protect peaceful protesters," said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, deputy director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International. "The fact that such violence is allowed to continue as the army stands there begs the question whether they have orders not to interfere."


Egyptian Finance Minister Samir Radwan said the army has made its mission clear: It will not harm its own people. He said the government was urging opposition leaders to begin dialogue.


"I don't care who's responsible," Radwan said of the ongoing chaos. "But I think any wise person should come to the table. This is not a blaming game. I am trying to save my country."


Nile TV sought to portray the unrest as a "foreign conspiracy" fueled by international journalists.Despite reports that shots had been fired, the television network's reporters denied any shooting had taken place and even that violence had broken out in Tahrir Square. It also said that members of the opposition Muslim Brotherhood were heading to the square "to throw balls of fire and to start acts of riots and violence."


CNN journalists could not corroborate such reports. Mubarak has in the past blamed the outlawed but tolerated Islamist umbrella organization for inciting revolt.


Foreign Ministry spokesman Hossam Zaki said the Cairo clashes represented "the very raw and high emotions" of the Egyptian people, and "what is required now is for people to calm down. I don't agree that the Egyptian government has lost control," he said, adding that the international community should not interfere in Egypt's internal affairs.


The dramatic and potentially deadly situation Wednesday erupted after pro-Mubarak demonstrators broke through a barricade separating them from anti-government protesters who have been amassing for more than a week in the downtown plaza.


The whole world was watching the crisis engulfing the Arab world's most populous nation, often a barometer for regional sentiment and action. In Washington, the Obama administration renewed its call for calm Wednesday.
"We continue to watch the events very closely, and it underscores that the transition needs to begin now," Gibbs said from the White House, adding that there needs to be "real change" in Egypt.


United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon echoed those sentiments after a meeting in London with British Prime Minister David Cameron.

A scene of violent chaos in Cairo

By the CNN Wire Staff

Cairo, Egypt (CNN) -- It started with verbal abuse, and then -- perhaps inevitably -- it got physical.
Supporters of Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak flooded into Cairo's Tahrir Square Wednesday after the president's opponents dominated the scene for more than a week.
Separated at first by barriers, the rival demonstrators exchanged insults, then began throwing anything they could find at each other, including shoes, rocks and sticks.
Suddenly the barriers came down. People surged toward each other in a chaotic scene that conjured images of a revolution.

Some injured protesters fell. Others stumbled through the crowd. Blood streamed down the faces of the injured.
Many of the injuries were serious, even though demonstrators wrapped sweatshirts and other clothes around their heads to protect themselves from flying stones.
Dozens of wounded were carried away, bleeding from gashes. It was impossible to tell from visits to a makeshift clinic which side was faring worse, CNN's Ben Wedeman said. He said simply: "They are all Egyptians."
A mosque served as a makeshift field hospital, staffed by volunteer doctors, he said.
Police were nowhere to be seen.
Army tanks surrounded the square, but the military proved unable or unwilling to separate the two sides. The hatches on their tanks and armored personnel carriers remained closed.
Some brave Egyptians tried to stop the violence, putting their bodies between the sides. Briefly they seemed to succeed. There was a lull in the violence. Some protesters from the rival camps embraced.
All at once, about 50 or 60 people carrying clubs and riding horses and camels charged into the square, beating some protesters. At least one man was pulled off his horse and beaten.
And the frenzy intensified. People tore paving stones out of the streets with crowbars and their bare hands, filling bags with rocks to use as an arsenal in the street battle.

Some ripped street signs out of the ground, using the metal as makeshift shields.
CNN's Hala Gorani was threatened by a pro-Mubarak supporter who told her to get out of the area.
"I was a little bit fearful," she said. Another protester stepped in and protected her, telling the first not to touch her because "she is with me."
She said she ran as fast as she could back to her colleagues.
"I'm fine, but I've got to say, this is a situation that can turn on a dime. There is a lot of anger coming from those protesters."
They are attacking journalists, she said, and will threaten anyone who looks Western with violence.

It was unclear whether there was shooting on the square. CNN's Fred Pleitgen and Anderson Cooper said they heard shots being fired, although Cooper suggested it may have been troops on the sidelines shooting into the air to try to restore order.
The interior ministry denied there was shooting.
CNN's Ivan Watson, overlooking the square from a hotel, did not hear any gunfire, he said, calling that "a blessing."

And somehow, amid the clashes, pockets of peace remained -- including around small groups who, amid the violence, dropped to their knees and faced Mecca. The time had come for daily prayers.

Egypt protests: Mubarak names Omar Suleiman as VP - BBC

from BBC

Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak has named intelligence chief Omar Suleiman as his first ever vice-president as he struggles to regain control of the country.

Aviation minister Ahmed Shafiq has also been appointed as prime minister.

Tens of thousands of protesters remain on the streets in Egypt, defying a curfew and army warnings.

There have been clashes in Alexandria, Cairo and Ismailiya. At least 74 people have been killed in the last two days.

In Cairo, police fired rubber bullets and tear gas in clashes with protesters at the interior ministry, but the army did not intervene. Injuries have been reported.

Cairo, Alexandria and Suez are under an extended curfew from 1600 to 0800 (1400-0600 GMT).

'Live bullets'

Cairo's central Tahrir (Liberation) Square remains filled with protesters. Troops and armoured vehicles have been deployed but have not yet taken any action.

A BBC Arabic correspondent at the scene reported a friendly atmosphere between the army and the demonstrators.

But clashes between the protesters and the riot police have left at least 74 people dead since rallies began on Tuesday. About 2,000 people have been injured.

"Live bullets have been fired at protesters, aimed at their heads," Dr Yaser Sayyed at the Sayyed Galal Hospital in Cairo told BBC Arabic.

"We have seen more than 20 cases of headshots with the bullet wounds on the front of the head and exit wounds on the other side, skulls fractured... in addition to chest wounds."

The army advised people to obey the curfew and avoid gathering in groups.

Looters rampaged through a number of upper-class neighbourhoods in Cairo, while in Alexandria there were reports of widespread looting of supermarket chains.

Some residents have formed committees to protect their homes and buildings.

Egyptian-born cleric Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi has said Mr Mubarak must stand down.

"I advise President Mubarak to leave his position and to leave Egypt," the influential cleric said. "There is no other solution to this problem but for [Mr] Mubarak to go."

'Reluctant to fire'

Hundreds of foreign tourists and Egyptian nationals are at Cairo's main airport seeking flights out of the country.

The UK has advised against all but essential travel to Cairo, Alexandria, Luxor and Suez.

The US has issued warnings to its nationals to cancel non-essential travel to Egypt. A number of European countries have also advised against visiting the country.

In Abu Za'abal prison in Cairo, a political prisoner told the BBC that 120 inmates took control of one sector of the jail.

Speaking by mobile phone, Mohamed Mahmud Sami - who has been in prison for 17 years - said: "Security forces are trying to storm in, but we can see that the soldiers are reluctant to fire at us, as if they want to side with the rebelling people of Egypt."

Cairo stock exchange will be closed on Sunday - a full trading day in the Middle East - because of the turmoil in the city.

After a day of violent protests on Friday, President Mubarak appeared on state TV to announce he was sacking his government. The cabinet has now formally resigned.

Mobile phone services have been restored in Cairo, but the internet remains down.

In Suez, soldiers were on the streets after the city's police fled following Friday's violence in which the main police station was burned down.

And a BBC Arabic producer reported that prison inmates rioted in the city of Manufiya, north-west of Cairo.

US President Barack Obama spoke to Mr Mubarak on Friday and urged him to uphold promises of reform. The US will review its aid of $1.5bn (£1.1bn) to Egypt based on events in the coming days.

The unrest in Egypt follows an uprising in Tunisia two weeks ago which toppled President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali after 23 years in power.

The Tunisian upheaval began with anger over rising food prices, high unemployment and anger at official corruption - problems which have also left many people in Egypt feeling frustrated and resentful of their leadership.

Egypt unrest: Police clash with protesters in Cairo

BBC

The protests widened after Friday prayers

Continue reading the main story

Egyptian police have clashed with thousands of protesters demanding the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo for a fourth consecutive day.

Protesters gathered after Friday prayers. Police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowds, who responded by throwing stones.

People also took to the streets in the coastal cities of Suez and Alexandria.

The government has warned of "decisive measures". There has been disruption to internet and mobile phone services.

Continue reading the main story

The French government said it had received reports that four French journalists covering the protests in Cairo had been arrested.

There were also reports of clashes between protesters and police in Alexandria, Suez, Mansoura and Aswan, as well as Minya and Assiut south of Cairo, and al-Arish in the Sinai peninsula.

In anticipation of the unrest, riot police were deployed around the capital, at the entrances to bridges across the River Nile, at Tahrir Square - the scene of protests earlier this week - and other key intersections.

Friday's rallies in Egypt were expected to be the biggest so far, with people urged via internet sites to join after attending prayers.

The organisers called on people to come out in force, stressing that the religion of protesters was not relevant.

However, most internet and mobile-phone data connections appeared to be cut off from early on Friday. Service providers gave no reasons for the disruption.

On its website, the Muslim Brotherhood accused the government of engineering the disruption "to prevent the voices of the Egyptian people from reaching the world".

But Egyptian film-maker Ahmed Rasheed, who was planning to take part in Friday's demonstrations, said people no longer feared arrest.

Continue reading the main story

"We have broken this fear barrier," he told the BBC. "People are taking to the streets, young people, all walks of life, educated, non-educated, higher social classes, lower social classes."

A lawyer for the Muslim Brotherhood meanwhile told the BBC that tens of its members had been arrested.

Despite an official ban, the Muslim Brotherhood remains Egypt's largest and most organised opposition movement.

Mr Mubarak, 82, has been in office since 1981.

Continue reading the main stStart Quo

The Egyptian government tolerates little dissent and opposition demonstrations are routinely outlawed.

On Thursday, Mr Mubarak's National Democratic Party (NDP) said it was ready for dialogue but did not offer any concessions.

Safwat al-Sherif, the party's secretary-general, said: "The NDP is ready for a dialogue with the public, youth and legal parties. But democracy has its rules and process. The minority does not force its will on the majority."

The US government, which counts Egypt as one of its most important allies in the Arab world, has so far been cautious in expressing support for either side.

President Barack Obama described the protests as the result of "pent-up frustrations", saying he had frequently pressed Mr Mubarak to enact reforms. He urged both sides not to resort to violence.

Violent clashes erupt during protests in Egypt

Cairo, Egypt (CNN) -- Police fired tear gas into crowds as violent clashes between authorities and anti-government protesters erupted Friday in the Egyptian cities of Cairo and Alexandria.

At least 1,000 protesters gathered in Alexandria, and youths hurled rocks through black clouds of gas. Crowds ran through the streets toward the city's central square.

In Cairo, police were out in force on the streets as the country's largest opposition bloc continued to calls for protests.

Vans packed with riot police patrolled Cairo before the scheduled beginning of prayers Friday afternoon. The Muslim Brotherhood -- Egypt's largest opposition bloc -- called for its followers to demonstrate after the weekly prayers, the first time in the latest wave of unrest that the group has told supporters to take to the streets.

Opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei arrived in Cairo on Thursday and said he planned to take part in the protests. Police warned the Nobel Peace Prize winner Friday not to leave a mosque near downtown Cairo, a security source told CNN.

In Jordan, meanwhile, about 1,500 protesters amassed in downtown Amman and hundreds of others turned out in other cities, witnesses said.

Hours ahead of the anti-government protests, the internet went dark in parts of Egypt. Some text messaging and cell phone services appeared to be blocked.

Servers of Egypt's main internet provider were down early Friday, according to multiple services that check whether servers used by specific sites are active.

Servers for the Egyptian government's sites and for the U.S. Embassy in Cairo also appeared to be down. But at least one internet service provider, Noor, was still working.

"We are closely monitoring the situation and are aware that communication services, including social media, are being blocked," U.S. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said Thursday. "We continue to urge Egyptian authorities to show restraint and allow peaceful protests to occur."

With more protests looming, some government critics voiced their opinions on a state-run television network.

A popular morning show on the state-run Egyptian Satellite station included comments from guests calling for the resignation of government officials and increased dialogue between authorities and arrested protesters. The network showed images of damage and reported that about 90 people were injured in protests in Suez Thursday.

Egypt's Interior Ministry said Thursday that no protests would be permitted on Friday, but some Egyptians were going door to door in Cairo, urging their neighbors to participate.

Authorities arrested a prominent Muslim Brotherhood leader early Friday, detaining the party's main speaker, Issam al-Aryan, according to a relative.

Police came to al-Aryan's Cairo home at 2:30 a.m. local time, his son-in-law said.

Opposition leader ElBaradei said people have taken to the streets because they "realize the regime is not listening, not acting."

"The barrier of fear is broken," he said Thursday. "And it will not come back."

He called for demonstrations to be peaceful and for the government of President Hosni Mubarak to stop detaining and torturing people. He said that a violent response from the government is "counterproductive" and that the regime should promote democracy and social justice.

"I am asking the regime to listen to the people before it is too late," the opposition leader said.

A Facebook page devoted to Friday's planned protests had more than 80,000 followers as Thursday afternoon, compared with 20,000 the previous day.

The outpouring of protests has led to unprecedented violence this week. At least six have died in the demonstrations so far, according to the Interior Ministry.

Video from Sinai on Thursday showed a protester being shot after the protester picks up a rock.

Police turned water cannons and tear gas on protesters Wednesday to break up anti-government demonstrations as the Interior Ministry warned it "will not allow any provocative movement or a protest or rallies or demonstrations."

In the heart of Cairo Wednesday, people were beaten with sticks and fists, and demonstrators were dragged away amid tear gas. Witnesses saw security forces harassing journalists and photographers. Demonstrations continued into the nighttime hours.

In Suez, state-run Nile News TV reported that at least 27 people were wounded in violent clashes between security forces and protesters Wednesday night. The Muslim Brotherhood had a higher number -- it said 35 people were injured in the city.

Families and friends of three people slain in Suez this week said angry demonstrations occurred because police didn't hand over the bodies of those killed.

U.S. President Barack Obama urged the government and demonstrators to refrain from violence as protests continued.

"It is very important that people have mechanisms in order to express legitimate grievances," he said.