BBC News Middle East
31 January 2011 Last updated at 21:40 GMT Share this page The BBC's Lyse Doucet describes the protests in Tahrir Square Egypt's army has vowed it will not use force against the tens of thousands of people protesting for the removal of the regime of President Hosni Mubarak. It said it respected the "legitimate rights of the people". The statement comes ahead of a massive march planned for Cairo on Tuesday and amid a call for a general strike. Meanwhile, new Vice President Omar Suleiman said Mr Mubarak had asked him to open dialogue with all political parties on constitutional reform. Earlier, Mr Mubarak announced a cabinet reshuffle to try to head off the protests, replacing the widely despised Interior Minister Habib al-Adly. Defying the curfew In its statement, carried on Egyptian media, the military said: "To the great people of Egypt, your armed forces, acknowledging the legitimate rights of the people... have not and will not use force against the Egyptian people." Continue reading the main story At the scene image of Kevin Connolly Kevin Connolly BBC News, Cairo On the seventh day of the crisis which will help define Egypt's future, the extraordinary is beginning to feel ordinary. The now familiar rhythms of a day of protest are re-establishing themselves. Demonstrators remain on Tahrir Square, their numbers fluctuating over the course of the day. Egypt remains trapped in the pre-internet age to which government censorship has dragged it back. Military helicopters drone overhead. The role of the army remains enigmatic. Troops are on the street and military checkpoints have been playing a more assertive role in controlling traffic crossing the bridges over the Nile. The soldiers see themselves as a force for stability, and while some of their armoured vehicles are daubed with graffiti that reads "Down with Mubarak" it's also true that the very act of preserving order helps the old regime to maintain its grip on power. The opposition is declaring a general strike and talks of bringing a million people on to the streets on Tuesday but it's far from clear that they have the coherent structure to keep sustained pressure focused on the Mubarak administration. The BBC's Jon Leyne, in the Egyptian capital, says that if this announcement does represent the will of the senior army commanders, it is a devastating blow for President Mubarak. Our correspondent says that to regain control of the streets, the president would need the use force, or at least the threat of force, from his army - and it now seems increasingly likely that his 30-year rule is drawing to a close. Soldiers, tanks and other military vehicles are deployed in many areas of the country ahead of Tuesday's demonstration. The opposition have called for a million people to take to the streets of Cairo. A similar mass march has been called for Alexandria. Train services in Egypt have been halted between the curfew hours of 1500 and 0800 (1300 and 0600 GMT) and EgyptAir said it was cancelling all domestic and international flights between these hours, a move correspondents say may be intended to restrict attendance at demonstrations. However, thousands of protesters are still camped out in Tahrir (Liberation) Square in central Cairo, defying the curfew. The BBC's Jim Muir in Cairo says the military, who cordoned off the square with tanks, are letting people come and go in a friendly atmosphere. Leaflets were being distributed to the crowds calling on the army to take the people's side and resist orders to move against them. 'Bluffing' In his statement, Mr Suleiman said the president had ordered new government policy to be outlined "in the next few days". ------------------------------------ Post message: [email protected] Subscribe : [email protected] Unsubscribe : [email protected] List owner : [email protected] Homepage : http://proletar.8m.com/Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proletar/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proletar/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
