CNN.com Troops in riot gear patrol Cairo as demonstrators plan mass protests
Cairo, Egypt (CNN) -- Demonstrators have built a barbed-wire barricade and stacked piles of rocks throughout Cairo's Tahrir Square, where a large number of protesters had already gathered Friday morning to demand President Hosni Mubarak's resignation. Military forces surrounded the square, and anti-government protesters manned their own security checkpoints, which included numerous blockades. "We've been here for more than 10 days, and change is coming," a group of protesters chanted inside the square. Troops wearing riot gear toted automatic weapons near the area. Security forces detained some people leaving the square, pointing guns at them and forcing them to lie on the ground early Friday. A burned-out car and a group of troops blocked the October 6 bridge, which crosses the Nile River and serves as an entrance to the square. Anti-government protesters have pledged to bring droves of demonstrators to the square Friday for what they dubbed a "Day of Farewell" and "Day of Departure," referring to their push for Mubarak to resign. The protests were scheduled to start after Friday prayers, and some demonstrators suggested the group may march toward the presidential palace. Mubarak is not gone, but his days are numbered. The leader agreed Tuesday to not seek re-election in September. In the bloody blur of days since his announcement that he would not stand for re-election, regime foes and supporters have clashed repeatedly in Tahrir Square, the center of anti-government demonstrations. Eight people have been killed and nearly 896 injured, according to the health ministry. The atmosphere Friday morning was peaceful and optimistic, but tense. Some anti-government demonstrators smiled as they sang patriotic songs. Exhausted protesters slept on sidewalks inside the square. A man with an Egyptian flag wrapped around his head sat on a curb, flashing a victory sign. A handful of pro-government protesters cheered as large vans filled with security forces arrived at Tahrir Square around 6 a.m. Friday (11 p.m. ET). It was unclear whether those inside were members of the military or police. Mubarak told ABC News Thursday he would like to step down right away, but cannot because he does not want to risk plunging his nation into chaos. Vice President Omar Suleiman blamed the media for some of the unrest that has plagued his country since anti-government demonstrations began January 25. "I actually blame certain friendly nations who have television channels, they are not friendly at all, who have intensified the youth against the nation and the state," Suleiman told Nile TV. "They have filled in the minds of the youth with wrongdoings, with allegations, and this is unacceptable." Thursday saw an escalation of attacks on journalists covering the demonstrations, and reporters said it was too dangerous to be at Tahrir Square or show live images of the scene on air. Many of those targeted asked whether the government was clearing them out of the way to cloak its actions. "Why doesn't the government want us around? What is it that it plans to do in the next few days that it really doesn't want cameras to be able to report on?" New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof told CNN. Mubarak told ABC News correspondent Christiane Amanpour that he was troubled by the bloody clashes that broke out Wednesday in Tahrir Square. As the United States and other countries condemned increasing attacks on journalists and diplomats, Mubarak rejected the notion that government instigated the violence in the country, 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 said he never intended to seek re-election or for his son, Gamal, to seek the post. He made the comment to Amanpour in his son's presence. Mubarak's concession that he would not run for re-election has not been enough for tens of thousands of protesters demanding immediate change. 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." Suleiman told ABC that Egyptian troops will not force anti-Mubarak protesters to leave Tahrir Square. 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. 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." 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. The United States is stepping up pressure on the opposition to begin immediate negotiations with the Egyptian government. "It's time for both of them to roll up their sleeves," a senior State Department official told CNN. "The government has to take some steps, but the opposition has to be willing to participate in negotiations as well." CNN's Amir Ahmed, Ivan Watson, Anderson Cooper, Frederik Pleitgen, Nic Robertson, Saad Abedine, Arwa Damon, Thomas Evans, Jenifer Fenton and Elise Labott and journalist Ian Lee contributed to this report. Links referenced within this article Find this article at: http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/02/04/egypt.protests/index.html?hpt=T1 © 2008 Cable News Network. ------------------------------------ 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! 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