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Anti-Mubarak protests continue, president refuses to resign

RIA Novosti

11:12 05/02/2011

CAIRO, February 5 (RIA Novosti, David Burghardt) - Egypt's capital of Cairo saw hundreds of thousands gather at central Tahrir Square to continue demands for President Hosni Mubarak to step down, a RIA Novosti correspondent reported on Saturday.

Egypt has seen huge protests mainly in the largest cities of the North African country since last month, with protestors reaching into the millions. Friday's demonstrations, dubbed the Day of Departure, were intensified as the youth began throwing shoes at portraits of the president, who has ruled the country for 30 years.

President Mubarak continues to hold on to his presidency and has called for elections in September, retaining power until elections are held. Egyptians want Mubarak to immediately leave the country.

According to the latest information, at least 300 have been killed and thousands injured during demonstrations throughout Egypt. There were no immediate reports of deaths or injuries following Friday's protests.

The protests, however, do not seem to be completely organized. Groups of around 200 from different directions on Friday afternoon marched their way to the main square shouting that Mubarak must go. A military helicopter circled over the main square for hours during the protests and well into the night.

Sharif Rasan Ghid, an Egyptian and a representative from the Russian Embassy's cultural department in Cairo said the youth has been gathering on Tahrir Square since January 25, but has not yet found a leader among them as happened 30 years ago when Mubarak came to power.

"The situation is getting worse and worse every day. The youth found each other through the Internet and started a protest against the government of Egypt," Ghid said, adding that for Egyptians January 25 has become "a national holiday."

He said the protestors do not just consist of only the youth as there are also older people and educated people standing side by side in the protests. Some organization is evident as they have set up places for protestors to get food and water and even a special committee that cleans the main square of garbage after the protests so that "everything is tidy" afterwards.

"They [the youth] make sure that everyone is acting civilized so that people don't stand against each other, so that there are no conflicts between them," Ghid said.

Protestors throughout Egypt have divided into two camps: one for Mubarak's immediate resignation, the other in support of the current president.

According to a statement in English purporting to be from protesters on the square, circulated through Facebook and other social networks, protests that are taking place in Cairo are aimed at advocating a change in the political system "to ensure the nation's freedom, dignity, and social justice."

"We are a group of young Egyptian Muslims and Christians, the overwhelming majority of us do not belong to political parties and never before had any engagement in political activities, our move included elderly people, children, workers, farmers, students and professionals from all walks of life," the statement said.

The statement continued to say that the movement has not seen "a single act of violence" and has denied it is backed financially by the United States or initiated by the radical Hamas movement.