LAST NIGHT Egyptian demonstrators in the northeastern port of Suez set a government building on fire and tried to burn down a local office of the ruling party.
Earlier in the day thousands of demonstrators, demanding the end of President Hosni Mubarak’s 30-year rule, the lifting of martial law and reform, returned to the streets despite a ban on protests by the interior ministry.
Last night’s fire spread through parts of the Suez provincial administration office but was put out before the flames engulfed the entire building, security forces and eye witnesses said.
Dozens of protesters also threw petrol bombs at the National Democratic Party office but failed to set it alight.
In Cairo earlier in the day, 2,000 people assembled at the journalists’ syndicate and lawyers’ association offices, chanting, “Bread, freedom, and social equality.” Police cordoned off Tahrir square at the centre of the capital to prevent protesters from regrouping there but they were not able to stop groups from rallying and marching.
In the northern Sinai town of Rafah, demonstrators called for the release of long-term prisoners and in Suez protesters joined the families of three men shot dead by police on Tuesday.
The relatives refused to accept the bodies for burial until seen by an independent medical examiner. Rallies in other cities were crushed by baton-wielding police deployed at strategic locations.
Alaa al-Aswany, author of the bestselling novel The Yacoubian Building,said protesters "broke the barrier of fear. These young people proved they can take their rights forcefully."
Protesters brought blankets and food to camp in Tahrir Square but were dispersed by police using water cannon, rubber bullets and tear gas.
Four civilians and one policeman were killed and scores of people were wounded in clashes on Tuesday. Over the two days 850 were arrested and many beaten. The Cairo-based Arabic Network for Human Rights Information called for the resignation of interior minister Habib Adly, blamed for systematic torture as well as violence against the protesters. The government accused the outlawed but tolerated Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt’s largest opposition movement, of organising the protests but the brotherhood denied the charge.
Sayyed al-Badawi, leader of the opposition Wafd party called for the dissolution of parliament, free and fair polls, and the formation of a government that would address the grievances of the populace. He observed that Egypt was suffering the consequences of three decades of one-party rule.
European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton called on the “Egyptian authorities to respect and to protect the right of Egyptian citizens to manifest their political aspirations” and to demand “political action to deal with the problems that are affecting their daily lives”.
The White House urged the Egyptian government, a long-standing US ally, to be “responsive to the aspirations of the people” and to enact economic reforms to benefit Egyptians.
The Twitter and Facebook social networking websites – used by organisers to direct protests – were blocked on all Egyptian internet providers. Mobile phone text messaging was also disrupted. – (additional reporting Reuters)
