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Egypt unrest: Activists call for mass demonstrations Egypt unrest: Activists call for mass demonstrations
(40 minutes later)
Egyptian activists have called for mass demonstrations after an overnight stand-off between security forces and protesters in Cairo's Tahrir Square. Egyptian activists have urged people to turn out for a million-strong march in Cairo's Tahrir Square to put pressure on the military to give up power.
Thousands flocked to the square after the military-appointed cabinet offered its resignation. Around 100,000 people flocked to the square on Monday night after three days of deadly clashes that left at least 26 people dead and hundreds injured.
At least 26 people have been killed and hundreds injured in three days of protests against the military rulers. The unrest has thrown into doubt elections due to be held next week.
Protesters say the military plans to hold on to power, despite an election process due to start next week. Demonstrators are concerned that the military intends to hold on to power, whatever the outcome of the vote.
Amnesty International has criticised the military for failing to keep its promise to improve human rights. The military leadership, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (Scaf), was reportedly holding talks with political leaders - a day after the military-appointed civilian cabinet offered its resignation.
Late on Monday some 20,000 people were estimated to have thronged Tahrir Square after the cabinet of Prime Minister Essam Sharaf announced its offer to resign. The Muslim Brotherhood - whose Freedom and Equality party is widely seen as the most formidable contender in the elections - is taking part in the talks.
Their numbers were far short of the hundreds of thousands whose demonstrations in the square earlier in the year led to the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak as president after 30 years in power. It has refused to participate in Tuesday's protest - presumably, say correspondents, because it wants the election to go ahead to show how much support it has in the country.
Without the Muslim Brotherhood's backing, the numbers attending Tuesday's rally could fall far short of the demonstrations that led to the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak as president earlier this year, observers say.
Tear gas and bulletsTear gas and bullets
But the square was again the scene of clashes between security forces and protesters determined to see the military transfer power to a civilian government. Protesters have begun streaming into Tahrir Square for the march later in the day, joining the hundreds that camped there overnight.
This situation is going in almost no direction now. Both sides continue to do what they are doing. The square - in the heart of the Egyptian capital - and surrounding streets have been the scene of running battles in recent days. Some of the heaviest fighting was in streets leading to the interior ministry building.
The demonstrators go for the police, and the police fire back at least with tear gas and buckshots, if not live ammunition, so the casualty toll continues to increase. Protesters threw stones at the riot police and troops who used their batons and fired tear gas and birdshot.
This is almost a rudderless situation. Mohamed ElBaradei, the Nobel Peace Prize winner, says the state is collapsing, and I think that's a very perceptive analysis. Medics told the BBC they were seeing people injured by tear gas and rubber bullets at makeshift clinics set up around the square.
A coalition of political groups has accused the military council of leading a "counter-revolution" and called for a mass demonstration on Tuesday. There has been violence in other parts of Egypt too. Two people died in the port city of Ismailia on the Suez Canal after security forces clashed with some 4,000 demonstrators, witnesses said.
However, the Muslim Brotherhood - whose Freedom and Equality party is widely seen as the most formidable contender in next week's elections - said it will not take part in the protests. Egypt's military rulers were thrown into further disarray on Monday when its civilian cabinet led by Prime Minister Essam Sharaf tendered its resignation.
This is likely to be because they want the elections to go ahead in order to show how much support they have got in the country, the BBC's Jon Leyne in Cairo reports. A military source said the resignation has not yet been accepted.
Hundreds of people camped out in the square overnight. Many people had already written the cabinet off as a spent force, as the ruling military council has assumed more and more direct control of the running of the country, the BBC's Jon Leyne in Cairo says.
The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces has not said whether it has accepted the cabinet's resignation. However, it poses a dilemma for the military, he adds. Any future cabinet is bound to demand more power for the civilian government. Or the military will be forced to take more direct control, making the generals personally responsible for all that is now going wrong in Egypt.
A military source told the BBC there was no consensus among the council on whether to accept. The source said the council was also consulting with other political groups.
Many people had already written the cabinet off as a spent force, as the ruling military council has assumed more and more direct control of the running of the country, our correspondent says.
In a statement carried by the official Mena news agency, the council expressed its "deep regret for the victims in these painful incidents" and called for "the greatest degree of self-restraint".In a statement carried by the official Mena news agency, the council expressed its "deep regret for the victims in these painful incidents" and called for "the greatest degree of self-restraint".
It said it had asked the justice ministry to form a committee to investigate the violence of the last few days.It said it had asked the justice ministry to form a committee to investigate the violence of the last few days.
On Monday evening, ambulances with sirens wailing were seen driving into the heart of the large city-centre square to ferry the injured to hospital. Amnesty report
During the day, there were running battles on the edges of the square and the nearby sidestreets leading to the interior ministry.
Protesters threw stones at the riot police and troops who used their batons and fired tear gas and birdshot.
Medics told the BBC they were seeing people injured by tear gas and rubber bullets.
There was violence in other parts of Egypt too. Two people died in the port city of Ismailia on the Suez Canal after security forces clashed with some 4,000 demonstrators, witnesses said.
The clashes began on Saturday following demonstrations against proposed constitutional changes unveiled by the interim government.The clashes began on Saturday following demonstrations against proposed constitutional changes unveiled by the interim government.
Protesters were chanting "the people want the removal of the marshal" - a reference to Field Marshal Mohamed Tantawi, who heads the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces and was Hosni Mubarak's defence minister for 20 years. Protesters are angry over a draft document setting out principles for a new constitution, under which the military and its budget could be exempted from civilian oversight.
They have been chanting "the people want the removal of the marshal" - a reference to Field Marshal Mohamed Tantawi, who heads the military council and his a long-time associate of Hosni Mubarak.
He has the task of overseeing the country's transition to democracy after three decades of autocratic rule under Mr Mubarak.He has the task of overseeing the country's transition to democracy after three decades of autocratic rule under Mr Mubarak.
The military council produced a draft document setting out principles for a new constitution, under which the military and its budget could be exempted from civilian oversight.
A proposal by the military to delay the presidential election until late 2012 or early 2013 has further angered the opposition.A proposal by the military to delay the presidential election until late 2012 or early 2013 has further angered the opposition.
Protesters want the presidential vote to take place after parliamentary elections, which begin on 28 November and will be staggered over the next three months.Protesters want the presidential vote to take place after parliamentary elections, which begin on 28 November and will be staggered over the next three months.
The unrest has cast uncertainty over the future of the elections but the military council has said they will go ahead.
The cabinet's resignation move poses a dilemma for the military, our correspondent says.
Any future cabinet is bound to demand more power for the civilian government. Or, he says, the military will be forced to take more direct control, making the generals personally responsible for all that is now going wrong in Egypt.
In a report published on Tuesday, Amnesty International said Egypt's military rulers had "completely failed to live up their promises to Egyptians to improve human rights".In a report published on Tuesday, Amnesty International said Egypt's military rulers had "completely failed to live up their promises to Egyptians to improve human rights".
Amnesty said the military council had carried on many of the abusive tactics of the Hosni Mubarak era, including torture of suspects, targeting critics and banning critical media.Amnesty said the military council had carried on many of the abusive tactics of the Hosni Mubarak era, including torture of suspects, targeting critics and banning critical media.
"The euphoria of the uprising has been replaced by fears that one repressive rule has simply been replaced with another," Amnesty said."The euphoria of the uprising has been replaced by fears that one repressive rule has simply been replaced with another," Amnesty said.
Are you in Egypt? Are you in Tahrir Square? What do you think of the Egyptian cabinet's resignation offer? Send us your comments and experiences. If you are happy for a BBC journalist to contact you, please include a phone numberAre you in Egypt? Are you in Tahrir Square? What do you think of the Egyptian cabinet's resignation offer? Send us your comments and experiences. If you are happy for a BBC journalist to contact you, please include a phone number
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