Thousands of Egyptian Protesters Step Up Pressure

Thousands of Egyptian Protesters Step Up Pressure

Millions of Egyptian men and women from all walks of life have gathered in central Cairo for the million man protest called for today.

Reports from Cairo say the mass of people include students, doctors, the urban poor and ordinary citizens rallied on Tuesday, in the biggest demonstration so far in an uprising against President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule.

Hospitals cross Cairo are said to be filled with wounded people.

Leave! Leave!

Waving Egyptian flags and banners saying "Bye-Bye Mubarak," the protesters rejected promises of reform and demanded that the president quit.

About 20,000 gathered in Suez , chanting: "Leave, leave ... revolution, revolution everywhere."

Opposition figure, Mohamed ElBaradei said Mubarak, 82 , must leave the country before the reformist opposition would start talks with the government on the future of the Arab world's most populous nation.

''There can be dialogue but it has to come after the demands of the people are met and the first of those is that President Mubarak leaves,'' he told Al Arabiya television , saying dialogue would cover transitional arrangements and dissolving parliament.

Mubarak's grip looked increasingly tenuous after the army pledged on Tuesday night not to confront protesters.

Effigies of Mubarak hang from traffic lights and some protesters carried a mock coffin.

The crowd included lawyers and other professionals as well as workers and students, showing the breadth of opposition to Mubarak. Women and men stood together holding hands.

Reform too little, too late

The army, a powerful and respected force in Egypt, dealt a possibly fatal blow to Mubarak on Monday night when it said troops would not open fire on protesters and that they had legitimate grievances and a right to peaceful protest.

Mubarak's new vice president, Omar Suleiman, appointed to show the government was willing to bring in reforms, offered to open a dialogue with the opposition.

But the measure, along with the dismissal of his cabinet and the promise of reform, appeared to be too little, too late.

Protesters were inspired in part by a revolt in Tunisia which toppled its president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali on January 14.

ElBaradei, former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has offered to act as a transitional leader to prepare Egypt for democratic elections.

Many Egyptians, however, have said they had reservations about the Nobel peace laureate who has spent much of his recent career outside the country.

At least 140 people have died since demonstrations began last Tuesday, most in clashes between protesters and the police forces. Violence also broke out in Suez , Alexandria and other cities.

Foreign governments have taken steps to evacuate nationals trapped by the unrest, including thousands of tourists. Companies also pulled out staff as the confrontation brought economic life to a halt.

AP/BBC/Margaret/Yinka