CAIRO //Thousands of protesters flooded into the Egyptian capital's main square yesterday, braving water cannons and tear gas to demand a change in government.
The demonstration, described by observers as the largest the capital has seen in years, was inspired by the ousting of Tunisia's president and partly organised through a Facebook page commemorating a young Egyptian who was allegedly beaten to death by police last June in Alexandria. Twitter was blocked and mobile phone service in the city centre restricted, hampering organisers' ability to co-ordinate the protest.
After a day of smaller, more peaceful marches across the city, the situation turned violent in the late afternoon as protesters converged on Tahrir Square. Police fired about a dozen tear-gas canisters and sprayed fire hoses deep into the crowd, while demonstrators tore up rocks from adjacent flower beds and hurled them into the police lines. Policemen threw the stones right back at them.
Protesters were quick to claim the event as a watershed moment in Egypt's history that had the potential to topple the government. After this month's events in Tunis, demonstrators saw a real possibility of forcing the Egyptian president, Hosni Mubarak, from power, said Mohammed Said, 30, who has been active in the protest movement for 10 years.
"If we keep up like this for two or three days everything will be OK and Mubarak will go to Saudi [Arabia] as well," he said. Zine el Abidine Ben Ali, the former Tunisian president, fled to Saudi Arabia after resigning his post.
"When I was a student 10 years ago, there were maybe 1,000 people at demonstrations. Now look at this," Mr Said said.
Many older demonstrators and analysts were much more cautious, arguing it would take more than a large protest to dislodge Mr Mubarak, who has held tight control of the Arab world's most populous country for 29 years.
Neither the event organisers nor police offered a count of demonstrators by press time, but the group of protesters filled about half of Cairo's mammoth Tahrir square, which is only a block from the country's two houses of parliament. Protesters were ringed by hundreds of police with batons and riot shields. They were backed up by armoured cars outfitted with water cannons and tear-gas canister launchers.
At one point, a young man climbed up onto a large billboard erected by the ruling National Democratic Party in the middle of the square, and spray-painted "Down with Hosni Mubarak" on the back.
The protesters, the majority of whom appeared under 30 years old, had lost their fear of the police, said Mina Daniel, 24, whose eyes and face were reddened from the clouds of tear gas.
"This is evidence that people want to revolt, because they didn't just surrender and go back into their homes," he said. "Egyptians by nature are very patient and endure a lot of burdens, but they're here because of the accumulation of humiliation, torture and stupidity.
"Any revolution starts with such small things."
One woman cradled two infants in her arms as she chanted along with the protesters, while a dozen older men knelt and prayed in the grass in the middle of the square amid the mayhem. Demonstrators chanted "Illegitimate, Illegitimate" and "Hosni Mubarak you are a coward. You are an agent of the Americans".
The demonstration took place on Police Day, a national holiday commemorating an event on January 25, 1952 when police in the Suez Canal city of Ismailia took up arms against the British occupation force. By late afternoon, protests also spread to other parts of Egypt including several cities in the Nile Delta and Alexandria, where police reportedly fired rubber bullets at demonstrators. Organisers also called for protests at Egyptian embassies in Paris, Toronto, Bologna, Sydney, London and Tunis.
In Kuwait, police arrested three Egyptians for attempting to organise their own protest against the Egyptian government, according to Al Anba, the Kuwaiti newspaper. The three were arrested for attempting to "incite the organisation of protests" and distributing leaflets without government authorisation, Al Anba reported.
foreign.desk@thenational.ae
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
The%20pillars%20of%20the%20Dubai%20Metaverse%20Strategy
%3Cp%3EEncourage%20innovation%20in%20the%20metaverse%20field%20and%20boost%20economic%20contribution%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EDevelop%20outstanding%20talents%20through%20education%20and%20training%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EDevelop%20applications%20and%20the%20way%20they%20are%20used%20in%20Dubai's%20government%20institutions%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAdopt%2C%20expand%20and%20promote%20secure%20platforms%20globally%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EDevelop%20the%20infrastructure%20and%20regulations%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
ABU DHABI CARD
5pm: UAE Martyrs Cup (TB) Conditions; Dh90,000; 2,200m
5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Handicap; Dh70,000; 1,400m
6pm: UAE Matyrs Trophy (PA) Maiden; Dh80,000; 1,600m
6.30pm: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak (IFAHR) Apprentice Championship (PA) Prestige; Dh100,000; 1,600m
7pm: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak (IFAHR) Ladies World Championship (PA) Prestige; Dh125,000; 1,600m
8pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Jewel Crown (PA) Group 1; Dh5,000,000; 1,600m
Company%20Profile
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Diriyah%20project%20at%20a%20glance
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Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
THE SPECS
Engine: 3.6-litre V6
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 310hp
Torque: 366Nm
Price: Dh200,000
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Haltia.ai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202023%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECo-founders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Arto%20Bendiken%20and%20Talal%20Thabet%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20AI%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2041%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20About%20%241.7%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Self%2C%20family%20and%20friends%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Women’s World T20, Asia Qualifier, in Bangkok
UAE fixtures Mon Nov 20, v China; Tue Nov 21, v Thailand; Thu Nov 23, v Nepal; Fri Nov 24, v Hong Kong; Sun Nov 26, v Malaysia; Mon Nov 27, Final
(The winners will progress to the Global Qualifier)
RACE CARD
4.30pm: Maiden Dh80,000 1,400m
5pm: Conditions Dh80,000 1,400m
5.30pm: Liwa Oasis Group 3 Dh300,000 1,400m
6pm: The President’s Cup Listed Dh380,000 1,400m
6.30pm: Arabian Triple Crown Group 2 Dh300,000 2,200m
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (30-60) Dh80,000 1,600m
7.30pm: Handicap (40-70) Dh80,000 1,600m.
OTHER IPL BOWLING RECORDS
Best bowling figures: 6-14 – Sohail Tanvir (for Rajasthan Royals against Chennai Super Kings in 2008)
Best average: 16.36 – Andrew Tye
Best economy rate: 6.53 – Sunil Narine
Best strike-rate: 12.83 – Andrew Tye
Best strike-rate in an innings: 1.50 – Suresh Raina (for Chennai Super Kings against Rajasthan Royals in 2011)
Most runs conceded in an innings: 70 – Basil Thampi (for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2018)
Most hat-tricks: 3 – Amit Mishra
Most dot-balls: 1,128 – Harbhajan Singh
Most maiden overs bowled: 14 – Praveen Kumar
Most four-wicket hauls: 6 – Sunil Narine
Shubh Mangal Saavdhan
Directed by: RS Prasanna
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Bhumi Pednekar
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
Structural%20weaknesses%20facing%20Israel%20economy
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESmartCrowd%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2018%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESiddiq%20Farid%20and%20Musfique%20Ahmed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%20%2F%20PropTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%24650%2C000%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2035%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeries%20A%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EVarious%20institutional%20investors%20and%20notable%20angel%20investors%20(500%20MENA%2C%20Shurooq%2C%20Mada%2C%20Seedstar%2C%20Tricap)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Dubai World Cup Carnival Card:
6.30pm: Handicap US$135,000 (Turf) 1,200m
7.05pm: Handicap $135,000 (Dirt) 1,200m
7.40pm: Zabeel Turf Listed $175,000 (T) 2,000m
8.15pm: Cape Verdi Group Two $250,000 (T) 1,600m
8.50pm: Handicap $135,000 (D) 1,600m
9.25pm: Handicap $175,000 (T) 1,600m