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Protesters in the Egyptian capital have been gathering since early this morning for a planned “march of a million,” calling for Hosni Mubarak, the embattled Egyptian president, to step down, reports Al Jazeera English.
“The protesters seem to be increasingly energized 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,” reported one Al Jazeera correspondent early this morning.
Other updates as published on Al Jazeera’s Live Blog note that though tanks and troops are stationed along the main streets toward the palace, army presence is quite low around Tahrir Square where most protestors are gathered. The Egyptian Army has vowed that it will not use force against demonstrators.
“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,” reported an Al Jazeera correspondent.
“You certainly get the feeling that the organizers will get the numbers that they want. The word is out there, despite the fact that the internet is still down … that people need to attend this march of a million,” said another correspondent.
“Possibly the only people who won’t be attending today, obviously presidential supporters, … Egyptians living in Cairo who have left to places like Sharm al-Shaikh where they’re looking for some sort of safety, and those who will be remaining in their homes to protect them from looters.
“But all groups, young, old, rich, poor, Christians, Muslims they are all heading [to Tahrir Square].”
“Egyptian TV presenters: Fears that today’s protest could lead to violence, insecurity, and looting like what happened on Friday. Again, they are trying to convince people not to join the protests,” reads another recent live blog entry.
The crowd continues to swell. Beginning to approach 10,000, says an Al Jazeera web producer.
Recall, protests in the north African country have been ongoing for more than a week. The death toll has reached 125, with many more injured as a result of clashes between police and protestors.