Some scenes and thoughts from watching AlJazeera live and other sources. Newest entry on top.
Lots of Molotov cocktails thrown now from both sides on a side street – all fall short of the "enemy" lines it seems
Firebombs form both sides in stand off next tp Egyptian Museum
21:00 GMT – 23:00 Cairo
Pro-democracy protesters seem to have pushed back the dictators' forces a few hundred meters along the road next the the Egyptian Museum and have errected a makeshift barricade there that gives them some protection
The US is now arranging for a coup against the will of the Egyptian people
Suleiman/Mubarak thinks he has upper hand now – before he asked opposition groups for negotiations, now says no dialog unless protests stop
Military warned shortly before of armed goons coming to the square
Very unclear situation it seems
Video view of pro-dictator side – much less people than before – a few hundreds – maybe a thousand – military tank -M113- moving within the crowd
Firebombs just seen thrown down from a building with pro-dictator people on it
22:18 Cairo time – automatic gunfire heard in the square on AJ live feed – army repositioning
—
Despite a determined attack by government goons and security services in civilian cloth the people in the Tahrir square managed to hold their position. This alone is a big victory.
The Tahrir Square seems pretty silent for now but unfortunately too empty. Reinforcement for the pro-democracy people is said to be on its way, but we haven't seen any yet. If there is an determined attack overnight, they will likely not be able to hold out. That would be a very bloody outcome. On the other side leaving the square right now may be even more dangerous than staying there.
The Egyptian army lives off an annual 1.3 billion dollars bribe from the U.S. In a country where a teacher makes $50 per month there is no way it can make that much money with so little work. If the U.S. says it is over and Mubarak has to leave now they will make him leave. Listening to the White House press conference, it seems that the related phone calls are being made right now.
Mubarak leaving would not change much though. Omar Suleiman, chief torturer of the regime, and the other guys at the top would likely carry on with Mubarak's policies. The aim must be complete regime change. It is unlikely though that the U.S. would support that.
The people will have to fight on to get there.
I expect another big demonstration this Friday. If the Muslim Brotherhood and all the other groups openly calls out it supporters for that, the numbers may be even bigger than what we saw yesterday. That would probably be decisive.
—live blogging from today below in time reverse order—
19:00 GMT – 21:00 Cairo
Graham Wood has been on the square and writes for The Atlantic: The Battle in Cairo's Tahrir Square – he thinks the goons will clear the square later tonight.
Finally two ambulances enter Tahrir square
BBC correspondent: "US government officials make very clear to us that Mubarak now has to leave much earlier than September"
18:00 GMT – 20:00 Cairo
[The order for the coup?]
AlArabiya Adm Mullen has called Lt Gen Sami Annan, Chief of Staff of the Egyptian Army
people get warned to move inside from balconies and to take cover
Police vans deploying to Tahrir squares – said to have order to shoot
Interview with former military intelligence general – "this shows Mubaraks paranoia"
anti-government people show more state security IDs to the camera
One doctor in a makeshift hospital in a mosque said at least 1500 wounded on the anti-government side
Live video: anti-government people show a man in civil cloth and an ID card to the camera – couldn't read it but maybe police ID
State security is systematically checking hotel rooms to look for reporters who film into Tahrir Square
17:00 GMT – 19:00 Cairo
The interior square now shows only aa few hundred people. There are likely more at the periphery. Still it would be good for them to get some reinforcement over the next hours.
Live video shows a group fo 30 people breaking pavement for getting more stones – seems to be pro-government side, not sure though
AFP estimates 500 wounded [From my experience is such clashes, the real number must be higher, probably double that - those were lots of stones flying]
DepState spokesman appeals to "all sides" to show restrain [he obviously didn't watch what I watched]
The fire were Molotov cocktail that had been thrown into the inner perimeter of the Egyptian Museum
EU Foreign Policy Speaker Ashton on AJ – still doesn't call for Mubarak to step down immediately, blah, blah, …
Some fire-engine is trying to put out a fire – still really not sure where that is, but seems to be right next to the museum
For orientation a picture with the Tahrir Square on the bottom right and the Egyptian Museum on the top left. The anti government protesters in the square were mainly attacked through the road coming down from the top next to the museum inot the square.
16:00 GMT – 18:00 Cairo (darkness)
fighting seems to have calmed down now
Uoh – video now shows some fire again but not sure where that is
The fire seems to have been put out by someone
Molotov cocktails (petrol bombs) get thrown from a roof now – could endanger the museum
Amnesty International "we have proof that this is organized violence"
UN Ban Ki Moon "transitions should take place now"
fire in one of the shops in the street – lost of smoke in the street
more warning shots being fired again – seem to be from the military that guards the Egyptian museum, the fighting is in the road next to the museum
now some 100 pro side on top of buildings next to the road that is fought about – throwing down everything they find or can rip off – big sat antennas etc
truck driving into square with pro-side people on top – truck vanished, no idea where its is now
pro-forces breaking up the pavement to have more stones to throw
[With this the international position of Mubarack dropped another 10 points]
ElBaradei talks of "crime against Egypt", Ban Ki Moon says "unacceptable", Cameron condemns violence
after being attack from the top, anti-retreat, pro side has the trucks back
about 50 people on top of a building ripping roof parts off and throwing them down onto anti-government protesters
pro-side probably got orders to retreat – this move looked organized
15:00 GMT – 17:00 Cairo (curfew time)
anti side rushing forward and pro side retreats fast, pro side seems to be less motivated now, retreats fast and far
anti-side hands captured people to the military
pro side has used positions in high rises at the position of the trucks to attack the anti from above, they now push the trucks towards the anti side – huge clouds of smoke/teargas
helicopter above Tahrir, pro side recaptured the trucks after teargas attack towards anti-side
tear gas being fired towards anti-side
NYT columnist Kristof in Tahrir, tweets:
mobs arrived in buses, armed with machetes, straight-razors and clubs, very menacing.
A Human Rights Watch guy who was in Tahrir reports many people with wounds from stones thrown, no knife wounds – speaks of pro-government "gangs" rooming through the side streets
In the last minutes just stand-off with stones being thrown over a gap between the crowds
pro-government site said to get reinforcement, anti-crowd can not be reinforced as there is no open entry to the square
AJ seems to wait for military intervention, but for the military to get there in sufficient numbers would likely take hours – a few battle tanks don't do
pro-government sides throwing molotov cocktails now
all exists from Tahrir seem plocked by the clashes, women and children in the middle of the square
anti-government group tries to rush the trucks – and wins them
the trucks are now used as barricade to block off one road and protect the pro-government crowd
pro-government have taken over three military vehicle, trucks, and drive them towards the square
automatic weapon fire heard – single shot mode – some 10 shots
clashes in the side street that around the Tahrir square – the square itself is calm, some 10,000+ people there, most seem to have moved to the streets around
14:00 GMT – 16:00 Cairo
Reports of large demonstrations in Alexandria
another rush – pro-government catch one anti who had fallen down while fleeing, some ten people beat him up heavily with sticks
counter rush – back to starting position
another rush by the pro-government side against the anti forces – stops after some 100 meter
this happens on the wide road next to the Egyption museum that leads to the square
several attacks of pro-government site on journalists from CNN, Al Arabiya, Spanish radio, …
short pause – no side winning any ground now
Earlier smoke grenate was tear gas, pro-government protesters confirmed to have police IDs, shown on camera at AJ arabic
video shows a crowd beting someone up – not clear which side
some hundreds anti-government people praying in rows prtected by a cordon of others
again stand-off position – the two groups some 50 meter apart, throwing rocks, waiting for one side to rush
ElBaradei accuses the government of scare tactics
pro-government protesters retreated afti the anti government side rushed onto them – now pro-government rushing again
Riot police in full uniform (helmets etc) on the side of pro-government side, but do not intervene yet
Clashes continue – Suez reports similar happening
13:00 GMT – 15:00 Cairo
Two horseriders were pulled down by anti-government protesters
Men on horse and camels are rushing against anti-Mubarak protester in the square – armed police seems to accompany pro-Mubarak crowd
Another tank joins
An army tanks is now trying to block a street through which the pro-Mubarak demonstrators push onto the square – the soldiers seem to have no weapon, just urge people to stay apart
Clashes in the side streets of Tahrir square
Uniformed police/state security officers lead the pro-Mubarak crowd in a car with loud-speaker systems
Eyewitnesses report injuries
Clouds of smoke on one side of Tahrir – seems to have been some military smoke grenade though there is no military visible
Video shows two huge groups with some 20 meter no-mans-land in between. pro-Mubarak try to rush, anti-Mubarak group retreats, avoids direct conflict
Video shows stones flying and one group, I assume pro-Mubarak police in civil cloth, with long sticks
Clashes in Tahrir square
More pictures (good but data heavy) part 1, part 2
Both groups shouting at each other but so far shwing restrain – may get ugly any moment
12:00 GMT – 14:00 Cairo
About a thousand pro-Mubarak protesters moving into Tahrir square – the army has retreated
Some people have no shame: Tony Blair: Mubarak is 'immensely courageous and a force for good'
Crowd in Tahrir is growing fast, I estimate 100,000
Zeinobia in Cairo made notes while it happened – now uploaded: Jan 28 : Chronicles of The longest Friday in Egypt, #Jan 29 : After the 28th,
Pictures from yesterday just uploaded
The government announced constitutional changes to happen in about two month.
Some Internet access seems to be back in Egypt.
After facing demonstrations yesterday, Yemens dictator announced today that he will not run again for presidency and also not install his son.
The crowd on the Tahrir Square is growing. So is the crowd of pro-Mubarak demonstrators. These are currently around the state TV building, only a few minutes away from the Tahrir square.
11:00 GMT – 13:00 Cairo
Overnight:
Yesterday evening a few hundred pro-Mubarak demonstrators shortly clashed with anti-Mubarak protesters in Alexandria. The military had to shoot into the air to separate the stone throwing groups.
Concerned about further clashes the military called for ending all demonstration.
There are still several thousand people in Tahrir Square, many more will likely come, and they are determined to stay there until Mubarak leaves. Egyptian state TV shows a pro-Mubarak demonstration of about one thousand people. They are mostly mid-aged men and an Al Jazeera reporter on the ground describes their mood as "aggressive". If pro and anti demonstrators meet, there may well be some violent incidences.
Banks, the stock exchange and many business stay closed. Downgraded by rating agencies and tourists leaving are increasing the economic pressure on the state.
According to the LA Times, Obama had asked Mubarak to step down immediately:
A U.S. envoy in Cairo told Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak that he needed to step aside and allow a new government to take shape without him but was rebuffed, according to Middle East experts who have discussed the matter with the Obama administration.
If that is really the case one wonders why Obama mentioned no such demand in yesterday's speech.