During Historic Day, Protesters flood Egypt streets 

At least a million gather in Cairo's Tahrir Square as mass
protests against President Mubarak are staged across country.

Al-jazeera English
February 1,2011

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/02/2011215827193882.html

About 1,000,000 people have gathered for the planned "march
of a million" in the Egyptian capital, calling for Hosni
Mubarak, the embattled Egyptian president, to step down.

Meanwhile, one of Egypt's oldest parties, Wafd, announced on
Tuesday that a number of opposition groups have agreed to
form "a national front" to deal with the volatile situation
there. In a statement, Wafd said that president Mubarak "has
lost legitimacy".

Also on Tuesday, the Muslim Brotherhood, an officially banned
but tolerated movement, said it will not negotiate with
president Mubarak or his government.

Earlier, some opposition parties have called for Mubarak to
delegate responsibilities to newly appointed vice-president
Omar Suleiman, who they are prepared to negotiate with.

Throngs protest

Thousands of demonstrators began gathering from early on
Tuesday morning in Cairo's Tahrir Square, which has been the
focal point of protests in the capital and served as the
meeting area for the march to begin on the eighth day of an
uprising that has so far claimed more than 125 lives.

Another protest in the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria
attracted tens of thousands of protesters, as national train
services were cancelled in an apparent bid to stymie
protests. Protests were also reported in the city of Suez.

Protest organisers have also called for an indefinite strike
to be observed across the country.

Our producer in Egypt reports on the latest developments

Soldiers at Tahrir Square have formed a human chain around
protesters, and are checking people as they enter for
weapons. Tanks have been positioned near the square, and
officers have been checking identity papers.

The army has also blocked all major roads in the city, and
tens of thousands of protesters are being held at the Kasr
al-Nile bridge. They were on their way to the main protest at
Tahrir Square.

'Gaining momentum'

Al Jazeera correspondents have described a "festival-like"
and "communal" atmosphere at the protest, with protesters
from all walks of life represented.

"It is peaceful, people power that has united here in the
heart of Egypt's historic square," reported one
correspondent.

An Al Jazeera correspondent in Cairo said that there were
reports that "thugs in certain parts of the city have been
trying to stop people from driving into Cairo".

She said that "increasingly large pockets of pro-government
protests" are also taking place at various locations in the
city. There are fears that if the two sets of protesters
meet, a violent clash could erupt.

Gigi Ibrahim, a political activist who planned to attend the
rally, told Al Jazeera the protesters will not be satisfied
until Mubarak steps down.

"I think today there will be great numbers on the street ...
every day there are more numbers on the street than the day
before. I think the protests are gaining momentum. The people
... will literally not leave until Mubarak steps down," she
said.

In an attempt to discourage people from the protests,
Egyptian state television has asked people to stay at home,
warning of possible violence.

An Al Jazeera online producer in Cairo said that if today's
protest does not go as planned, similar protests could be
planned for Friday.

Protests are also taking place in the cities of Mansoura,
Damnhour, Arish, Tanta and El-Mahalla El-Kubra.

The new protests come as the police have returned to the
streets.

But while the police's posture to be adopted in the face of
the strike and marches remains unknown, the Egyptian army
stated clearly on Monday that it would not stop protests

Faced with the prospect of massive numbers trying to converge
on the capital, Egyptian authorities stopped all train
traffic with immediate effect on Monday afternoon, and the
state-owned national carrier EgyptAir said it was cancelling
all international and domestic flights during curfew hours
(3.00pm to 8.00am local time).

Army promise

In a statement on Monday, the army said "freedom of
expression" was guaranteed to all citizens using peaceful
means.

"To the great people of Egypt, your armed forces,
acknowledging the legitimate rights of the people," stress
that "they have not and will not use force against the
Egyptian people," said the statement.

It was the first such explicit confirmation by the army that
it would not fire at demonstrators who have taken to the
streets of Egypt and comes a day before Tuesday's "march of
millions".

Our producer in Egypt reports on the latest developments in
Tahrir Square

It urged people not to resort to acts of sabotage that
violate security and destroy public and private property. It
warned that it would not allow outlaws to loot, attack and
"terrorise citizens".

The call for the "million-man-march" from the so-called April
6 movement has come as Mubarak swore in a new cabinet on
Monday, in an attempt to defuse ongoing demonstrations across
the country.

Panic and chaos

On Tuesday, even as Egypt continued to face economic turmoil
as a result of protests, the International Monetary Fund said
it was ready to put in a place an economic rebuilding policy
for the country.

"The IMF is ready to help in defining the kind of economic
policy that could be put in place," IMF chief Dominique
Strauss-Kahn said.

Meanwhile, chaos has been reported at Cairo's international
airport, where thousands of foreigners are attempting to be
evacuated by their home countries.

Our correspondent reported on Tuesday that about 1,000 US
citizens have been evacuated to Cyprus or Turkey, from where
they are expected to make their own way home.

She also said that China is sending two additional planes to
evacuate its citizens. 

Source: Al Jazeera and agencies 

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