Protests, Strikes Spread as Egypt's Regime Stiffens

 

Photo: AP

An anti-government protester wakes up after spending the night in front of the main gate of the Egyptian Parliament in Cairo, February 10, 2011

Thousands of anti-government protesters remain in Cairo's Tahrir Square and outside Egypt's parliament building Thursday as they continue their campaign to oust embattled President Hosni Mubarak.

In addition to the prolonged protests in the capital, the opposition has turned to labor actions across Egypt affecting tourism, textiles, railways and the government.

The protesters are seeking to pressure Mr. Mubarak, who has been in power for 30 years, while also demanding the resignation of lawmakers elected late last year in a vote widely condemned as rigged in favor of the ruling party.

Egyptian Vice President Omar Suleiman has said the government will not tolerate prolonged anti-government protests in Tahrir Square. He warned activists not to attempt more civil disobedience, calling it "extremely dangerous."

Protest organizers said they are working on plans to move to the state radio and television building Friday, when another mass demonstration has been called.

On Wednesday, more than 6,000 disaffected workes demonstrated against low wages and poor conditions at five companies owned by the Suez Canal Authority, which is a major component of the Egyptian economy.  Two thousand textile workers demonstrated in Suez, while thousands hurt by the collapse of the tourism industry held protests in Luxor.

Hundreds of slum dwellers in the Suez Canal town of Port Said set fire to parts of the governor's headquarters, angry over the lack of housing.

Anti-Mubarak protests resulting in several deaths also erupted in the desert oasis of Kharga, 600 kilometers south of Cairo, as demonstrators burned police stations and other government buildings.

Thousands of government workers from the health and telecommunications offices protested in several locations across Cairo Wednesday. Many were contractors, demanding full-time work and benefits.

Meanwhile, the nation's largest circulation newspaper, the iconic al-Ahram, began to shift from its pro-government reporting.  On Wednesday, the front page, which had sought for days to downplay the protests, called recent attacks by pro-Mubarak supporters on Tahrir Square an "offense to the whole nation."

Protesters have turned the square into a sprawling tent city, complete with medical facilities, charging stations for mobile phones, sound stages and a radio station.

A committee of judges and legal scholars appointed by Mr. Mubarak agreed Wednesday to propose six constitutional amendments and said further articles could also be changed.

But Egypt's banned Muslim Brotherhood, which broke ranks with the opposition to meet with Mr. Suleiman, rejected what it said were half-measures by the regime.

Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.