Egypt's military deployed on the streets of Cairo to enforce a nighttime curfew as the sun set Friday on a day of rioting and chaos that was a major escalation in the challenge to authoritarian President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule.
Thousands defied the night curfew in the capital Cairo and were trying to storm two major government buildings — the state TV and the Foreign Ministry. Others were praying on the streets of Cairo after nightfall.
Flames rose up across a number of cities from burning tires and police cars. Even the ruling party headquarters in Cairo was ablaze in the outpouring of rage, bitterness and utter frustration with a regime seen as corrupt, heavy-handed and neglectful of grinding poverty that afflicts nearly half of the 80 million Egyptians. Some protesters were looting television sets and electric fans from the burning headquarters.
One protester was killed, bringing the death toll for four days of protest to eight.
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, in his capacity as head of the military, announced a curfew across the country starting from Friday. “According to what some provinces witnessed in terms of riots, lawlessness, looting, destruction, attack and burning of public and private property including attacks on banks and hotels, President Hosni Mubarak decreed a curfew as a military ruler,” a state TV announcer said.
The curfew is to last from 6 p.m. (local time) to 7 a.m. It was the most drastic measure so far to quell daily riots and protests that began Tuesday and spiraled into chaos on Friday after noon prayers.
Tens of thousands of determined motivated protestors clashed with well organized security forces in Cairo Friday leaving the city clouded by smoke and acrid tear gas. At 5 p.m. local time, the riot police held the upper hand in a battle that had see-sawed back and forth on the roads and bridges leading to the capital’s downtown Tahrir Square.
“Go like Farouk,” they chanted. “Gamal, tell you father it’s time to go,” referring to President Hosni Mubarak’s son.
“We just want the freedoms of any civilized country,” said Hassan Ali, a professor of radiology at Cairo University.
Fighting broke out as soon as Friday prayers finished at the central mosque in Giza, just north of Cairo, where Mohamed ElBaradei was praying amidst the crowd.
The instant the last prayer ended, the people began chanting “Freedom! Freedom! Freedom!” and “Go! Go! Go!”
Just as soon as Mr. ElBaradei made his way from the mosque, the security forces moved, speeding water cannons into the spot left by Mr. ElBaradei, the Nobel-prize winning former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, who is considering a run for Egypt’s presidency later this year.
Half the crowd moved down Giza Avenue where they linked with thousands of people who had walked from districts to the east.
There, beside the Sheraton Hotel, the protesters fought a relentless battle with security troops that barred entry to the El Gala bridge over part of the Nile.
Wave after wave of people charged at the troops, throwing no rocks and using no violence, only shouting at the forces. They then were beaten back by a particularly strong tear gas.
The crowd was remarkably determined to advance despite the painful experience. By about the eighth charge, the police parted and let the crowd cross on the bridge.
The victory was temporary, however, as about a kilometre on they faced a larger force, preventing them from crossing the Tahrir bridge to the mainland.
At one point, the crowd had pressed the forces back about three quarters of the way across the bridge. Joined by reinforcement, however, the police pushed the crowd back with an endless barrage of gas, sound grenades and water cannons.
By 4 p.m., the thousands of protestors appeared isolated on Zamalek island in the middle of the Nile.
The government took command of the situation early in the day. When first they shut down the Internet at midnight, local cell phones were shut down by about 10 a.m., and even the BlackBerry network was closed by about 11:30.
Unable to communicate with each other while in the field, the groups proceeded almost leaderless right into the arms of the riot police.
