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| Africa North |
| Two million Egyptians hang Mubarak in effigy |
| 2011-02-02 |
| [Ennahar] More than two million Egyptians gathered Tuesday in Tahrir Square (Liberation) in downtown Cairo in the largest mobilization in eight days of protest against geriatric President Hosni Mubarak who was symbolically hanged. Protesters have used a dummy representing the Egyptian President Mubarak that they hang. Taking advantage of the support of the all-powerful army, which has pledged not to fire on them, men, women, children and elderly have demonstrated to demand the departure of Mr. Mubarak who seems to cling to power by proposing dialogue and reform immediately rejected. No violent incidents were recorded during the demonstrations held at the call of the opposition to the "walk of a million" in Cairo and Alexandria against their president accused of all evils: poverty, unemployment, violation of freedoms, corruption and political locking. Mohamed ElBaradei, the most prominent figure of the opposition, urged Mr. Mubarak to leave "not later than Friday," by proposing a "honourable exit" for the President, 82, more and more distressed. Given the continuing showdown, the U.S. came in contact with both sides: a former U.S. diplomat Frank Wisner was to meet in Cairo senior regime leaders, while U.S. Ambassador Margaret Scobey spoke on the phone with Mr. ElBaradei who has also received a phone call from the British ambassador. At the same time, they ordered the departure of nonessential personnel from their embassy, while the protest movement, the most important since 1981, although it continues peacefully, has caused since January 25 at least 300 dead according to an unconfirmed report of the UN, and thousands injured. In central Cairo, the vast Tahrir Square (Liberation Square), the epicentre of the movement, was stormed by a human tide. The atmosphere was very festive, protesters, dancing and singing in jeering the Egyptian president. Passers-by cheered at the sight of two dummies representing Mr Mubarak hung with the Star of David on his tie and wads of dollars into the pockets. "I think governments everywhere should support us. We expect them to say he's gone, he is in the air. It is our dream," said one of the demonstrators, Basma Mahmoud, 30. The army closed in the morning access to the capital and other cities, and helicopters flew regularly downtown Cairo. Rail traffic was halted to prevent an onslaught on the capital. In Alexandria, the second largest city on the Mediterranean, hundreds of thousands of people gathered outside Qaeda Ibrahim Mosque and the railway station. In Suez (east), 15,000 people marched, while they were 40,000 in Mansoura, 5000 in Tanta and 10,000 in Mahalla, in the Delta. A few hours after the commencement of the curfew (1:00 pm GMT to 06:00 am GMT), the crowd began to disperse in Cairo in good order, under the gaze of the army. Also in Alexandria, people began to return home, while insecurity reigns in the country because looters emerged in the early days of the demonstration after the withdrawal of the police. This latter, hated by the protesters on whom she had shot, reappeared on Monday. To mobilize protesters, groups from civil society, supported by Mr. ElBaradei, part of the secular opposition and the Mohammedan Brotherhood, most influential opposition force, have relied on word of mouth, the Internet remains blocked and mobile messaging service disrupted. The announcement of a new government and the proposal of Vice-President Omar Suleiman a dialogue with the opposition were rejected by the protesters and the opposition, for whom only the departure of Mr. Mubarak would empty the streets of Egypt. After a week of protests, the economic repercussions of the revolt are being felt. The tourists, one of the main sources of revenue for Egypt, gave up coming, and foreigners decamped. Banking and Stock Exchange are closed, and then the missing fuel and the Egyptians made their provisions. After Moody's on Monday, rating agency Standard and Poor's lowered the rating one notch to Egypt. But the IMF was ready to help Egypt. Unesco has launched an appeal to safeguard the heritage of Egypt, calling for measures to protect "the treasures" of the country. Fearing for his part in a possible future power in Egypt hostile to his country, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on the international community to "demand" respect for the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty. |
| Posted by:Fred |