Tear gas has met Egyptian protesters for the second consecutive day as thousands of citizens have taken to the streets in defiance of a government banning of all street demonstrations. Reports on the ground are that across downtown Cairo, Sinai and elsewhere, Egyptians are marching for change, and the police are fighting back with tear gas and allegedly live ammunition in the latest drama in the country. Protesters are chanting anti-government slogans are calling for the government of President Hosni Mubarak – who has ruled Egypt for the past three decades – steps down. Thousands of Egyptians poured onto the streets on Tuesday in a rare public display of animosity toward the government. The demonstrations are part of the ongoing anger that was sparked by Tunisia's recent upheaval that saw that country's president leave the country. According to Bikya Masr reporters on the ground, Cairo's main Tahrir square saw upwards of 30,000 people take to the streets, throwing rocks at police who responded with tear gas. Protesters threw the canisters back at the police. Organizers of the protest, which took to social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and blogs to get the call out, said it was part of efforts to remove President Hosni Mubarak from his three-decade rule of the country. “We are here to show our anger and show the world and our government that this is too much,” said Ahmed, a 25-year-old demonstrator. “We have nothing left but to voice our anger, but will the government listen?” Among the many grievances the demonstrators wanted to show was their frustration over repeated police abuse of activists and average citizens. Tuesday was chosen for that exact reason. January 25 is a national holiday and Police Day in Egypt. They chanted anti-government sentiments and expressed their discomfort at the rising cost of living, failed economic policies and corruption. Amnesty International issued a statement Monday “urging the Egyptian authorities not to crack down” on the planned nationwide demonstration. The banned Islamic Muslim Brotherhood group – the largest organized opposition party – said earlier that it would not officially join Tuesday's demonstrations, but Amnesty reported that some members “have reportedly been summoned and threatened with arrest and detention.” At least three citizens were killed an a soldier was also reported to have died in Tuesday's clashes. Some 120,000 security soldiers were deployed to combat protesters on Tuesday, local reports said. BM
