Egyptian Defense Ministry: 'It Is Time To Go Back To Normal Life'

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The Egyptian defense ministry asked
the youth to return home, saying,
"It is time to go back to normal
life," as protesters assembled for
a ninth day to push the departure
of President Hosni Mubarak forward.

The crowd had families with young
children in Cairo's Tahrir Square
on Wednesday. Some camped out at
Tahrir which means "freedom" or
"liberation" in Arabic for one week.

Mubarak, on Tuesday, said he wouldn't
run for office again in the elections
scheduled for September, but is firm
on remaining in the country to finish
his term.

"My first responsibility now is to
restore the stability and security of
the homeland, to achieve a peaceful
transition of power in an environment
that will protect Egypt and Egyptians
and which will allow for the responsibility
to be given to whoever the people elect in
the forth-coming elections," Mubarakin in a
televised address Tuesday night.

Thousands of protesters exploded in chants
of "Down with Mubarak!" and "The people want
the president to be judged!" following his
announcement.

Some waved shoes in the air, a deep insult
in the Arab world. They vowed to continue
their demonstrations until Mubarak quits now,
not when his term is over.

Source: http://newsblaze.com/story/20110202080440writ.nb/topstory.html

Cairo Crowds Prepare For A March

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Cairo crowds prepare for a march
aimed at bringing down the 30-year
regime of President Hosni Mubarak.
Organizers requested that a million
people flood the streets.

Egyptian authorities shut down the
Internet and cell-phone service
ahead of the protest to stop people
from showing-up.

The ruling National Democratic Party
announced a counter demonstration in
support of Mubarak.

Tuesday's new arrivals gave new energy
to protesters who spent another chilly
night in the plaza, and the crowd broke
into a full-bodied roar of "Down, Mubarak,
down!"

Protesters are demanding an end to what
they feel is a repressive, incompetent
and corrupt regime that didn't improve
the lives of ordinary people, but
restricted civil liberties and violated
human rights.

They don't have a leader, but have united
around Mohammed ElBaradei, a Nobel Peace
Prize winner and former secretary general
of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The crowd in the square came from all walks
of life: secular middle-class professionals
and pious Muslims of modest means.

The religious element has become more
visible, and dawn brought a long audio
burst of Koranic verses. After being
caught off guard by the protests, the
Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's largest
opposition group and one of the cornerstones
of political Islam in the Middle East, has
thrown its support behind the movement and
endorsed ElBaradei as a transitional figure.

Source: http://newsblaze.com/story/20110201091445writ.nb/topstory.html