Egypt unrest: Tense stand-off in Cairo's Tahrir square

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12345656

There is a tense stand-off in the Egyptian capital's main square, after fights broke out between supporters and opponents of beleaguered President Hosni Mubarak.

Thousands of the president's supporters had surged into Cairo's Tahrir Square, dismantling barricades set up by anti-Mubarak groups.

It followed a call by the army for protesters to return home after nine days of anti-government demonstrations led Mr Mubarak to pledge he would not stand for re-election in September.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12307698
Opposition protesters tell AFP news agency that undercover police have stormed their protest in Tahrir Square

Al-Jazeera TV broadcasts pictures of running battles in Tahrir Square, backing up earlier AFP report

The BBC's Jim Muir in Tahrir Square confirms that clashes are going on between opposition protesters and pro-Mubarak groups.

More from the BBC's Jim Muir: "It's not clear how much violence is happening, but projectiles have been thrown. There is a huge potential for conflict. The army had previously succeeded in keeping Mubarak supporters away from the square, but the army lines appear to have been breeched."

Reuters says the protesters involved in clashes in Tahrir Square were using stones and sticks, and about 10 people at the scene were wounded.

Dubai's al-Arabiya TV says pro-Mubarak protesters have assaulted one of their reporting crews and destroyed their equipment.

http://twitter.com/#!/NadiaE
many many injured passing by

Tear gas clouds rise in Tahrir. Several injured by rocks passed in front of me. One hit in eye

Mubarak failed to stop revolution using police thugs. Now he's trying to do it by tearing the egyptian people apart

rock throwing between both sides

mubarak civilian thugs in tahrir trying to take over. Journalists not safe as egyptians on both sides lose trust in media

Mubarak police thugs killed the egyptian protesters. Its the turn now of mubarak thugs #egypt #jan25

army let in huge pro mubarak protest. Lots of chaos. People trying to stir trouble by setting ppl against each other

http://twitter.com/#!/monaeltahawy
BREAKING: Police force enters Tahrir and starts attacking protesters

Al Jazeera on live now
http://english.aljazeera.net/

CNN
http://www.cnn.com/
Protesters injured during clashes between pro- and anti-Mubarak demonstrators in Cairo.

[dipsydoodle]

1. This all about pay

Broadly speaking the Central Security Forces etc receive well above average pay. Mubarak manages that by use of the US aid. His supporters want their higher pay to continue.

Its US aid which has kept the Egyptian population at bay / suppressed by the CSF.

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2. just go mubarak -- you're humiliating yourself and your supporters with crap like this. nt

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3. Live Egypt unrest

Soldiers are using hoses to douse the flames caused by the petrol-bomb explosions, AFP reports.

In an interview with BBC Arabic, Egypt's new Finance Minister, Samir Radwan, calls for the opposition to accept the offer of dialogue with the government. "They are afraid to sit and talk because it will appear that they do not have an economics of foreign affairs programme," he says. "But we must sit together in order to avoid any chaos.''

Soldiers are using hoses to douse the flames caused by the petrol-bomb explosions, AFP reports.

CNN is broadcasting pictures of the stand-off near the back of the Egyptian Museum. There is a small fire in the street, and another in a building opposite. But there is no indication that there is a fire inside the world-famous institution, which was damaged by looters on Friday.

Two petrol bombs have landed inside the grounds of the Egyptian Museum, near where pro- and anti-government demonstrators have been involved in violent clashes, according to the AFP news agency.



http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12307698
Live Video from the square



twitter
http://twitter.com/#!/waelabbas
mubarak thugs are throwing molotov cocktail bombs on the egyptian museum !!! eyewitness just called me !!!

they are now trying to block twitter again, i expected it

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4. NBC Richard Engels :heard several bursts of gunfire, jeremy scahill

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12307698

NBC reporter Richard Engels tweets: "Heard several sustained bursts of gunfire .. Lots of molotov at north end of tahrir "

Medical officials tell the AFP news agency that at least 500 people have been wounded in the clashes in central Cairo.

A CNN correspondent reports that the petrol bombs are being thrown by supporters of President Mubarak at the anti-government protesters.

Opposition protester Gigi Ibrahim tells the BBC she is trapped in Tahrir Square, and fears violence if she tries to leave: "The situation is escalating by the minute. If we want to get out we have to go through Mubarak supporters. I'm scared of going out because my face is now recognisable as an opposition protester."

The BBC's Jonathan Marcus says: "One of the things the Americans have been doing over the years is to try to persuade President Mubarak to allow a genuine secular opposition. The Americans will now be very concerned at what comes out of this melting pot. Clearly it's the Muslim Brotherhood that is in many ways the best organised opposition group."

CNN's Ivan Watson in Cairo tweets: "Nightfall. Bloody battle continues to rage here in Tahrir Square. We are trapped inside with the opposition, who say they'll fight to death."

Belgium's foreign minister demands the Egyptian authorities release Le Soir correspondent Serge Dumont, whom he says was beaten and then arrested.

The BBC's Tim Willcox tweets: "Bursts of gunfire in Tahrir Sq. Reports that foreign media being attacked - including 'vicious beating' of one camerawoman."


jeremyscahill
Mubarak thugs chanting, "Our Blood, Our Lives, We'll Give for You Mubarak." Iraqis used to chant that for Saddam

Mona Eltahawy
If?? David Cameron: if the government is sponsoring these events in Egypt, then it is despicable and unacceptable #Jan25

CNN blog
http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/02/02/egypt-crisis-prepping-for-another-day-of-protests/?hpt=T1&iref=BN1

Woman in square, we can not leave
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqoRzSkmX88

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5. Sweedish newspaper and Belgium foreign minister: reporters, photos to come

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12307698

The Swedish newspaper, Aftonbladet, has also said that two of its reporters were attacked by an angry mob in a poor area of Cairo, and then detained by soldiers for several hours. One of them, Karin Oestman, said people had spat in their faces and accused them of being from Israel's foreign intelligence agency, Mossad.

Belgium's foreign minister demands the Egyptian authorities release Le Soir correspondent Serge Dumont, whom he says was beaten and then arrested.

http://twitter.com/#!/Dima_Khatib
We will soon be providing you with photos of Ministry of Interior IDs found on attackers captured by protesters #jan25 #egypt