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Tuesday, 25 January 2011

'Three Dead' After Violent Egypt Protests

Tim Marshall, in Cairo

Three people are dead following a day of violent protests across Egypt demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's rule.




Reports said two protesters were killed during a rally in the city of Suez, while a policeman died in Cairo after he was hit on the head by a rock.

In the capital, tear gas and a water cannon were used against protesters as they marched in Egypt's first Tunisian-inspired demonstrations.

As darkness fell, thousands of anti-government protesters remained on the city's streets demanding the overthrow of Mr Mubarak.

It was the biggest rally in the country for 25 years and thousands of police were deployed in a massive security operation.

In unprecedented scenes for the Arab world's most populous country, a day of violent protests developed into a tense stand-off between marchers and riot police.

Sky News counted more than 40 tear gas grenades fired into the crowd in Cairo's Tahrir Square.

One man climbed on top of an armoured car and another lay down in front of the water cannon vehicle.

Egypt police fire tear gas at protesters in Cairo

Egyptian police fire tear gas at protesters in central Cairo

All the while, the large crowd around them chanted "Down with Hosni Mubarak".

The protesters swept to and fro across the square, some choking from the tear gas, some bleeding from head wounds inflicted by police batons.

Protest organisers and opposition supporters dubbed the planned rally as the "day of revolution against torture, poverty, corruption and unemployment".

Other demonstrations were staged across Egypt as the call spread on Facebook and Twitter - but by mid-afternoon reports said Twitter had been blocked.

In Alexandria protesters flipped over a police vehicle and tore down a picture of 82-year-old Mr Mubarak and one of his son, Gamal.

The protests have been planned against a backdrop of growing anger in Egypt over poverty and a deteriorating economy.

There are also questions about Mr Mubarak's possible successor in presidential elections later this year.

Egypt police clash with protesters in Cairo

Anti-government demonstrators clash with police in the city of Alexandria

Similarities have been drawn with the recent uprising in Tunsia, but so far the percentage of people involved is much lower.

Cairo is a city of 15 million people, in a country of 80 million.

The protests were the biggest anti-government demonstrations in a quarter of a century, but the near 5,000 people who came onto the streets is a tiny fraction of the population.

Egyptians are also fearful of what might follow any uprising.

The only power structures apart from Mr Mubarak's ruling NDP party are the army and the Muslim Brotherhood.

In Tunisia, the people did not fear an Islamist takeover - they trusted the army to support them and not try to take over the country.

President Mubarak's regime will now be watching anxiously to see if the protests continue this week and grow in strength.

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