As tens of thousands of Egyptians gather in Cairo's Tahrir Square to protest the government and President Hosni Mubarak—and as the U.S. urges Mubarak to resign immediately—Egyptians in the NYC area are planning a rally in Times Square. According to WCBS 2, "The rally will start at 3:30 pm. Protesters are expected to march to the Egyptian Consulate on 59th Street and 2nd Avenue. A large enough crowd could complicate the evening commute for those trying to escape the city via the 59th Street bridge."
The gathering in Cairo, dubbed the "Day of Departure," was relatively peaceful, given the violence that occurred when pro-and anti-Mubarak groups clashed in the Square, leaving hundreds injured and at least eight dead. According to CNN, Egyptians were "undeterred by the preceding two days of violence...[chanting] slogans like 'He leaves, we don't leave' and 'The blood of the martyrs will not be forgotten.' A massive banner in the middle of the square said in English: 'The people demand the removal of the regime.' Egyptian soldiers, equipped with riot gear, surrounded the square, where an air of optimism returned -- people played music, sang patriotic songs and danced. Exhausted protesters slept on sidewalks inside the square. A man with an Egyptian flag wrapped around his head sat on a curb, flashing a victory sign."
Egyptian Vice President Omar Suleiman told ABC News' Christiane Amanpour,
"My telephone call with Clinton. We discussed this issue but she didn't ask that President Mubarak step down now. But I told her it was a process, and at the end of it, President Mubarak will leave." He referred to how the unrest in Tunisia forced its president and his family to flee, "Egypt will not be anything like Tunisia. This is different. You know that our president is a fighter. He lived on this soil and he will die on this soil."
