C-upi
1/30/2011 2:35:00 AM
CAIRO, Jan. 29 (UPI) -- Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak
named a vice president Saturday as protests against his autocratic
rule erupted for a fifth day.
Thousands of people ignored a 4 p.m. to 8 a.m. curfew in
Cairo and remained in the streets, the Los Angeles Times reported.
While most demonstrations were peaceful, looting and arson spread in
some neighborhoods.
"We want a government elected by the people, not a
government dictated to the people," The Washington Post quoted one
protester, Mohammed Ramadan, 40, as saying.
Rallies to express solidarity with the Egyptian protesters
were held in numerous cities around the world Saturday, CNN
reported.
In London, people chanted and waved banners outside the
Egyptian Embassy. One sign read: "From The Nile, To the Sea -- Egypt
Soon Will Be Free! Freedom for Egypt!"
"People were clearly voicing their anger at President
Mubarak's regime but similarly they were also very passionate about
their demands for democracy and political reforms," Amedeo d'Amore,
who was at the London protest, told CNN.
In Geneva, Switzerland, people chanted "Get out, Mubarak!"
Courtney Radsch, who attended the demonstration, told the U.S. news
network.
Rallies also were reported in Toronto and Montreal, Canada,
as well as in U.S. cities.
The Post said many of the Egyptian protesters don't see the
United States as their ally in their efforts to send Mubarak
packing.
"We didn't expect much from the United States," Abdel Nasser
Awad, 40, told the Post. "We are not people looking for war. We are
looking for freedom."
Another protester, Emad Abdel Halim, 31, said the
demonstrators "believe America is against us."
"Until now, 1/8U.S. President Barak3/8 Obama didn't talk to the
Egyptian people. He didn't support the Egyptian people," Halim said.
Mubarak selected Omar Suleiman, head of the General
Intelligence Directorate, as vice president, the first he has had in
30 years in power. The move appeared to be a signal Mubarak has no
intention of stepping down, the Times said.
Few police were visible in Cairo, and some opposition
leaders said the government is trying to create anarchy. Soldiers at
demonstrations did little to rein them in and appeared friendly to
the protesters.
"The government is trying to transform the people's
revolution into looting mobs so they can justify cracking down,"
Cairo University Professor Mahael Said told the Times. "But we are
not going to let them do that."
The government said at least 62 people had died in the past
two days.
The New York Times said the army, which moved into Cairo in
force Friday, had appeared content to stand by and monitor the
situation rather than enforce a widely ignored curfew; however,
police riot squads took a more aggressive stance and pummeled
protesters with tear gas and water cannon.
The Post said the demonstrations remained largely secular in
nature despite the long-running bad blood between Mubarak's
government and fundamentalist Muslim groups.
Internet and cellphone service remained largely unavailable
Saturday due to a shutdown implemented by the government.