Month: February 2011

March Underway

by Chris Bodenner

EA:

0650 GMT: The Million-Person March has begun. Al Jazeera is interviewing participants who are walking from Abu Zaabal. The correspondent near Tahrir Square speaks of a "cross-section" of protesters, including women and children, and an enthusiastic atmosphere. The military, which has pledged not to use force against the march, has deployed a line of tanks from Tahrir Square to the Presidential Palace. This includes strongpoints in front of the State TV building, which the march will pass, and at the Palace.

AJE:

Army presence still quite low around Tahrir square. No police (traffic, riot, otherwise) to be seen in the vicinity. Cell phones remain up in Cairo. As far as I know, internet remains down.

The Dawn Of A Million Marchers?

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by Chris Bodenner

Enduring America's live-blog is up and running:

0540 GMT: … From the reports we did get, it appears to have been a relatively quiet night. We did hear of the Army firing machine guns in the centre of Alexandria — at whom and for what reason was unclear — but that was about it.

0550 GMT: Al Jazeera is reporting tens of thousands of people are going to Cairo on foot after train services were stopped by the Government.

Al Jazeera narrates an early morning video of chanting protesters (beginning at the 1:14 mark):

"People everyday tune into morning TV, and they see that ordinary Egyptians are still on the streets. And that they are brave….and God willing, we'll be out here on the streets. And please know that you're not alone.The Angels are protecting you. Are you scared?

[crowd yells NO!]

"I wanna tell you that Hosni Mubarak is afraid and terrified. The whole administration is terrified."

(Photo by Frederik Pleitgen)

The Path Of The Protesters

Tahrir1

by Chris Bodenner

AJE:

Organisers have told Al Jazeera that the march will start at Tahrir Square – the focal point of the protests in Cairo. The marchers are expected to pass the nearby Egyptian state television building before heading north-east, towards the presidential palace. Our correspondent says tanks and troops are stationed along the main streets towards the palace. Which means they could intervene to divert the marchers.

The march is scheduled to begin at 9am local time (7am GMT, 2am EST). An Al Jazeera correspondent at 6:10 am reports:

The protesters seem to be increasingly energised this morning. They clearly are determined to get today's march stating with a big bang. The atmosphere on Tahrir Square is very good. People seem to feel that some sort of victory is the air.