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Hundreds of Egyptians Protest Despite Police Warnings

VOA News 25 January 2011

Hundreds of anti-government protesters have gathered in the Egyptian capital Cairo, despite warnings from authorities that they face arrest.

The protesters Tuesday denounced President Hosni Mubarak and called for economic and political reforms as security forces deployed across the city.

Tens of thousands of people pledged to participate in mass demonstrations in Cairo and several other cities. The rallies have been promoted online by groups saying they speak for young Egyptians frustrated by the kind of poverty and oppression that triggered the popular revolt in Tunisia.

Activists from Egypt's Kifaya (Enough) movement - a coalition of government opponents - and the 6th of April Youth Movement organized the protests on the Facebook and Twitter social networking websites.

At least 87,000 Facebook followers indicated they would attend the rallies, but the potential for a heavy security crackdown makes the actual turnout hard to predict.

Legal parties such as the liberal Wafd, as well as the banned Muslim Brotherhood - Egypt's largest and best organized opposition group - have not formally endorsed the demonstrations, but have said some of their members will take part.

Emergency laws in place since 1981 outlaw demonstrations without prior permission. Opposition groups say they have been denied such permits, and Egyptian security forces have a track record of dealing violently with protesters.

The rallies are planned to coincide with a national holiday honoring the police, a key force in keeping President Hosni Mubarak in power for the last 30 years.

Since Tunisia's January 14 revolution, at least five Egyptians have attempted suicide by self-immolation, imitating the young Tunisian whose burning death in December first galvanized protesters there.

The Egyptian government has played down the self-immolation attempts, saying those who committed the act were driven by "personal issues."

Nearly half of Egypt's 80 million people live under or just above the poverty line. Poor quality education, health care and high unemployment have left large numbers of Egyptians deprived of basic needs.

Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.