CAIRO, Feb 1: Up to two million protesters converge in the center of the Egyptian capital, Cairo, as a “million man march” continues across Egypt to mark a week since the beginning of the popular uprising.
A section of protesters in central Cairo, Feb 1.
Protest organizers put the number of protesters demanding the resignation of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak at about two million on the eighth day of protests on Tuesday in Cairo, AFP reported.
The Egyptian government canceled national train services across the country in a move to prevent the protesters to join the “million man march” in the capital city.
Protest organizers have pledged another million-strong march in the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria on Tuesday side by side their fellow capital residents.
Anti-government protesters and opposition groups have announced an indefinite general strike to mount pressure on Mubarak.
Many protesters defied a curfew to bunker down overnight in Tahrir Square in central Cairo.
The Egyptian Army has pledged not to open fire on peaceful demonstrators as thousands of people insist on their campaign to oust Mubarak.
The army, which put Mubarak into power in 1981, has reportedly announced that it considers the people's demands as legitimate.
Turkey warns Mubarak, Iran praises protesters
Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday that Mubarak must listen to the demands of his people and instigate change, emphasizing the democratic credentials of his ruling Islamist AK Party.
Addressing the Turkish parliament in Ankara, Mr. Erdogan said: “For the sake of Egypt, Mr. Mubarak take the first step. He must do something to instigate change.”
In a speech met with frequent outbreaks of applause from Turkish lawmakers, the prime minister stopped short of calling for Mr. Mubarak’s resignation, but stressed that, “in today’s world, freedoms cannot be delayed.”
In Tehran, Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi says Iran supports the protesters in Egypt and elsewhere in North Africa, the ISNA news agency reports.
"Popular protests and movements in North African countries including in Egypt show necessity of an overhaul in the region and putting an end to dictatorial rules," he says.
"Tunisian and Egyptian nations proved that the era of engineering and controlling the region by the World Arrogance is over and that people are trying to decide about their fate."
He also criticized the the United States for what he called meddling in Egyptian affairs.
"Egyptian brothers and sisters showed that they will not continue to tolerate Zionist regime's crimes," the foreign minister says on Monday, according to ISNA.
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