7:28pm UK, Monday February 07, 2011
Protesters in Egypt say they fear security forces will take revenge on them for their continued campaign against President Hosni Mubarak, despite assurances from the government.
Egypt Protesters: We Fear Revenge Attacks
7:28pm UK, Monday February 07, 2011
Protesters in Egypt say they fear security forces will take revenge on them for their continued campaign against President Hosni Mubarak, despite assurances from the government.
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Thousands of people still occupy Tahrir Square in the Egyptian capital Cairo, demanding Mr Mubarak step down immediately.
Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq has promised there will be no "security pursuit" of the activists who have taken part in the uprising, but many do not believe him.
Protesters in the square say they have faced increased harassment in recent days as the government tries to clear the area and get back to normality.
Middle East blog, Dominic Waghorn
Peter Bouckaert, a researcher for Human Rights Watch in Cairo, said there have been rolling arrests with people held for a few hours or overnight.
"The situation is very tense," he told Sky News Online. "Intense shooting took place at around 7pm last night after the army tried to surround their tanks with barbed wire.
"The people in Tahrir Square felt hemmed in and began to protest, which resulted in the military firing shots into the air and beating up some protesters."
Saad Shibahi, 27, a driver from Alexandria, said: "State security people are registering us at checkpoints, looking at us in a certain way. It's enough to see them to feel
scared."
Egypt In Crisis 
The United Nations believes that up to 300 people have been killed in the protests so far as Egyptians campaign for democracy.
In a bid to prove he is listening to protesters, Mr Mubarak reshuffled his cabinet and has since frozen the bank accounts of certain former ministers over allegations of corruption and banned their travel.
Egypt's former interior minister has reportedly appeared before military prosecutors and may be charged with withdrawing security forces from the street during the pro-democracy uprising, ordering live fire on protesters and releasing prisoners from jail.
After violent clashes, the police disappeared from the streets on January 28 and prisoners ecaped from jail as the country suffered looting and lawlessness.
Vice President Omar Suleiman has met opposition groups
Protesters claim this action was taken on purpose to destabilise their campaign for democracy.
Vice President Omar Suleiman has met several major opposition groups and has suggested an army-dominated transition period until elections are held in September.
Mr Mubarak would remain a figurehead, as Egypt's constitution demands that an election is held within 50 days if the president steps down, which the government claims is too soon after the current instability.
However, Mr Bouckaert added: "Protesters want broader changes than those suggested and worry that the army domination could impede long-term changes and that they could rig the next election as happened in the past."
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