Violent protest spread across Cairo and other Egyptian cities on Friday as tens of thousands of demonstrators intensified their campaign to oust President Hosni Mubarak, pouring from mosques after noon prayers and clashing with police who fired tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannons.
Protests in Egypt entered a third day as protesters took to the streets in Yemen to demand a new government.
Demonstrations against the rule of President Hosni Mubarak resumed in many cities throughout Egypt yesterday. But though thousands participated in the protests, they were significantly smaller than Tuesday\’s demonstrations.
In a day marked for commemorating the struggle against European colonizers, tens of thousands of Egyptians, inspired by the popular uprising in Tunisia, took to the streets Tuesday to protest the iron-fisted policies of the police state. Ironically called “Police Day,” the January 25 national holiday had been created in tribute to the heroism of 50 Egyptian policemen killed by British forces in 1952 in the city of Ismailia after they refused to surrender their weapons to their European colonizers. But today’s demonstrations spewed anger against President Hosni Mubarak’s increasingly authoritarian, 29-year-long regime.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he urged Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to press the Palestinians to return to direct talks. Netanyahu, in his statement after meeting Thursday with Mubarak in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheik, said he asked Mubarak \”to act to persuade the Palestinians to move to direct, intensive and serious negotiations — in which all core issues will be raised — forthwith.\” Palestinian Authority officials have said their own proposals for comprehensive direct talks have been rebuffed by Netanyahu, who they claim wants first to deal with security arrangements.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak met to discuss plans for new indirect peace talks with the Palestinians.
The renewal of intense Palestinian rocket attacks on Israeli civilian areas has put Israelis in a somber mood during the usually festive week of Chanukah.
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