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Egypt Imposes Curfew as Protests Spread

VOA News January 28, 2011

Egypt ordered a curfew and sent the army into Cairo and other cities Friday night, but the orders failed to curb protests by tens of thousands of people demanding the end of Hosni Mubarak's rule.

Protesters in Cairo surrounded some vehicles belonging to security forces, and at one point rocked an empty troop carrier back and forth and then burned it.

Large fires are visible at several spots in the city, including in some government buildings, and witnesses reported hearing gunfire in streets that are filled with shouting demonstrators.

The headquarters of Egypt's ruling National Democratic Party was among the buildings set ablaze.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged the Egyptian government and demonstrators to refrain from violence. In comments Friday, she also called on the government to adopt reforms.

Convoys of military vehicles carrying troops poured into Cairo about the time a dusk-to-dawn curfew began.

Soldiers have been patrolling Suez, where police used tear gas, water cannons and clubs to push back demonstrators. At least one demonstrator was reported killed in Suez. Al Jazeera news says military vehicles have also moved into Alexandria.

President Mubarak is expected to make a televised address to the nation, in what has become the most violent and chaotic day of anti-government protests since mass demonstrations began Tuesday.

The 82-year-old Egyptian ruler has not been seen or heard from since the protests started.

The Associated Press says Nobel peace laureate and Egyptian activist Mohamed ElBaradei is under house arrest.

ElBaradei is a former U.N. atomic energy chief who returned to Egypt from Austria Thursday, saying he was willing to lead an opposition movement.

Internet service, a key tool for activists, was shut down across the country shortly after midnight. Cell phone text messaging and data plans were also disabled. Telecom company Vodafone says the Egyptian government ordered all mobile telephone operators to suspend service in parts of the country.

Egypt's largest opposition group, the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, says at least five senior leaders and five former members of parliament were arrested in raids.

The group has said it will join protests, but has not organized the demonstrations that have been spearheaded by young people angry at poor living standards and authoritarian rule.

At least five people have been killed and the government says 800 people have been detained since Tuesday. Human rights groups say there have been more than 2,000 arrests.

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