Middle East
Egypt protesters gain ground
Labour unions stage country-wide strikes and pro-democracy protesters extend
demonstrations to the parliament buildings.
Last Modified: 09 Feb 2011 11:49 GMT
Jacky Rowland reports from Tahrir Square on the newcomers swelling the ranks of
Egypt's pro-democracy movement
The Egyptian cabinet building in Cairo has been evacuated and officials
relocated after pro-democracy protesters gathered outside, sources tell Al
Jazeera.
Pro-democracy demonstrations are gaining momentum in the Egyptian capital, with
some protesters moving from Tahrir [Liberation] Square to camp out in the area
outside the parliament buildings.
Protesters are demanding the assembly's immediate dissolution. The developments
came as public rallies calling for Hosni Mubarak to hand over power immediately
entered their sixteenth day.
The president's message has thus far been that he will not leave until his term
expires in September.
As a gesture of goodwill, 34 political prisoners, including members of the
banned opposition group, Muslim Brotherhood, were reportedly released over the
last two days.
The government seems to be scrambling under pressure from major powers and
pro-democracy supporters, Al Jazeera's Stefanie Dekker reported from Cairo.
She said, however, that there are still an unknown number of people missing,
including activists thought to be detained during the recent unrest.
Union support
Outside parliament, protesters had gathered on Wednesday with blankets and had
no plan to move, our correspondent reported. The demonstrators have a sign put
up that says: "Closed until the fall of the regime".
Meanwhile, labour unions across Egypt, mobilised by the pro-democracy momentum,
were staging strikes demanding higher wages and better treatment from their
employees.
Strikes were taking place nationwide, including in Mahalla and Suez. Numbers
are said to have reached around 10,000 workers at various factories in
different cities over the past 24 hours, Al Jazeera correspondents reported.
Click here for more on Al Jazeera's special coverage
"It is a significant gain for the pro-democracy supporters" if the unions get
involved in demonstrations, Al Jazeera's Hoda Abdel-Hamid reported from Cairo.
Tahrir Square resembled a tented city on Wednesday, as protests - many of them
first-timers - reached some of their highest numbers on Tuesday.
Many feel this showed that the movement, now in its third week, still has
momentum.
Protesters are "more emboldened by the day and more determined by the day",
Ahmad Salah, an Egyptian activist, told Al Jazeera from Cairo on Wednesday.
"This is a growing movement, it's not shrinking."
"People feel very strongly here," Al Jazeera's Dekker said.
She said people in Tahrir Square were angered by a visit from Tamer Hosni, a
famous Arab pop star, on Wednesday morning.
Hosni previously made statements telling the demonstrators to leave the square,
saying that Mubarak had offered them concessions. "His comments really did not
go down very well," our correspondent said. The crowd reacted angrily and the
military had to intervene to keep them away from him.
Another Al Jazeera correspondent, reporting from Cairo, said there was also
renewed international element to the demonstrations, with Egyptians from abroad
returning to join the pro-democracy camp.
There is even an internet campaign aimed at mobilising thousands of expatriates
to return and support the uprising, our sorrespondent said.
Newcomers joining
Many newcomers who joined Cairo's protesters said they had been inspired in
part by the release of Wael Ghonim, the Google executive, previously held by
state security authorities.
Ghonim was the person behind a page called "We are all Khaled Said" on the
social networking site Facebook, which is being credited for helping spark the
uprising in Egypt.
Amr Fatouh, a surgeon, said he had joined the protests for the first time as
well.
"I hope people will continue and more people will come. At first, people did
not believe the regime would fall but that is changing," he said.
Suleiman Speech
Main points of offer
Mubarak will form a committee to review constitutional amendments.
Mubarak will form another committee to follow up govt measures to solve
the crisis, including talks with opposition.
Third committee will investigate violent acts and attacks on protesters.
Mubarak has promised not to arrest or charge any one of those who took part in
the protests.
Ban Ki-moon, the UN chief, said on Tuesday that genuine dialogue was needed to
end the current crisis, and that a peaceful transition was crucial.
"The Egyptian people are clearly frustrated, and are calling for bold reforms.
It is incumbent on the Egyptian leadership - and that of any other country in
the world - to listen attentively to the legitimate concerns and aspirations of
their people," he said.
US vice president Joe Biden, in a telephone conversation with his Egyptian
counterpart Omar Suleiman, on Tuesday called for increased dialogue between
opposing sides.
Biden suggested several steps, including an immediate abolition of the
country's emergency laws, that give sweeping powers to the security forces. He
also suggested halting the arrest of journalists and activists, and involving
more opposition members in negotiations.
Suleiman warned on Tuesday that his government "can't put up with continued
protests" for a long time, saying the crisis must be ended as soon as possible.
Suleiman said there will be "no ending of the regime" and no immediate
departure for Mubarak, the state news agency MENA reported from a meeting
between the vice-president and independent newspapers.
Suleiman reportedly told the editors of the newspapers that the regime wants
dialogue and doesn't "want to deal with Egyptian society with police tools."
At one point in the roundtable meeting, Suleiman warned that the alternative to
dialogue "is that a coup happens, which would mean uncalculated and hasty
steps, including lots of irrationalities. We don't want to reach that point, to
protect Egypt."
'Very dangerous'
Pressed by the editors to explain the comment, he said he did not mean a
military coup but that "a force that is unprepared for rule" could overturn
state institutions, Amr Khafagi, editor-in-chief of the privately owned Shorouk
daily, who attended the briefing, said.
Suleiman warned that calls by some protesters for a campaign of civil
disobedience are "very dangerous for society and we can't put up with this at
all."
This comes after he announced a slew of constitutional and legislative reforms,
to be undertaken by yet to be formed committees.
Earlier on Tuesday, Suleiman said a plan was in place for the peaceful transfer
of power.
He said demonstrators will not be prosecuted and an independent fact-finding
committee would be established to probe the violence on February 2
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