Hosni’s choice: Friday farewell or face fury
Feb. 3: With just hours left for Friday’s showdown - the Friday of Farewell - between protesters and the government in Egypt, the army on Thursday rolled out tanks and positioned soldiers to separate warring pro-and anti-Hosni Mubarak demonstrators, who clashed overnight leaving seven people dead, including three on the spot, and 700 injured in fresh violence.
The pre-dawn firing, apparently by Mubarak’s supporters, appeared to be orchestrated to evict thousands of opposition supporters from Tahrir Square ahead of a massive rally on Friday, also the day when the opposition deadline to the embattled President, who has been in power since 1981, to quit expires.
As Mubarak supporters, who were largely being beaten back by protesters in the square, foreign journalists were beaten with sticks and fists by pro-government mobs on the streets Cairo on Thursday and dozens were reported detained by security forces, the US state department condemned what it called a “concerted campaign to intimidate” the media.
Under an onslaught of international condemnation for the assault on protesters by pro-Mubarak rioters that sparked the renewed wave of turmoil, the government offered a series of gestures trying to calm the fury.
New Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq apologised for the events saying there will be an investigation into the violence while Egypt’s new vice president urged demonstrators in Cairo’s central square to end their 10-day protest, saying their reform demands have been answered, in a television interview on Thursday.
“End your sit-in. Your demands have been answered,” said Omar Suleiman, addressing youth opposition protesters as fresh looting and arson erupted.
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