Omar Suleiman, speaking on state television, said Mubarak had decided to give up “the office of the president of the republic” and said the Supreme Council of the armed forces would “run the affairs of the country.”
The news swept the country and Tahrir Square, home of the protest movement, erupted in celebration.
Hundreds of thousands of protesters had gathered for a huge rally on what they called “Farewell Friday,” and after 18 days they finally achieved their main goal.
Suleiman’s statement came after Mubarak left Cairo for the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, shortly after protesters marched on his main presidential palace and held vast rallies across Egypt.
Mubarak passed most of his powers to Vice President Omar Suleiman Thursday night, but rebuffed the demands of demonstrators that he step down immediately.
Mubarak’s departure came after an offer by the army to ensure 30-year-old emergency laws were lifted and that free and fair elections were held failed to placate the crowd.
The military’s comments were seen as a major push to end the worst crisis in Egypt’s modern history and contained a clear signal that it wanted demonstrators off the streets.
However, live television pictures from Alexandria showed massed ranks of people filling a main boulevard in the city andAl-Jazeera reported there were other demonstrations in Suez, Mahala, Tanta and Ismailia.
Elsewhere, in the north Sinai town of el-Arish, there was a alarming development with Reuters reporting that about 1,000 people attacked a police station in an attempt to free prisoners.
Witnesses said they threw Molotov cocktails and exchanged gunfire with police who retreated to the roof. Al-Jazeera television reported the attackers were protesters who broke away from the main demonstration in el-Arish.
Al Jazeera is reporting that two people have been shot dead in Cairo.
Thursday February 3, 2011 4:32 FRANCE 24
4:14
FRANCE 24:
Egyptian vice-president says Mubarak‘s son will not run for president, also vows to release all youths detained in anti-government protests who had not been involved in violence (state TV).
Thursday February 3, 2011 4:14 FRANCE 24
4:12
monasosh:
Thelasttweetwasaffirming that those were real gun shots #Jan25[via Twitter]
Thursday February 3, 2011 4:12 monasosh
4:10
raafatology:
JournalistinAlexandria are in much better condition. I see so many of them and no one is bothering them #Egypt#jan25[via Twitter]
Mubarak seems to have chosen the path that shall hasten chaos.
US which supports dictators hardly does any thing when it comes to the question of Democracy.
As an aside, how is it that all uprisings Tunisia,Egypt and elsewhere are happening concurrently?
There is a curfew in effect in Egypt, but thousands of protesters remain in the streets in Cairo, Suez, Alexandria and across the rest of the country. President Hosni Mubarak is expected to speak soon. Police might’ve fired tear gas at praying demonstrators. And Fox reported on how ICE arrested some immigrant sex offenders in Virginia.
Fox, CNN and MSNBC are all acquitting themselves better than they did the day Tunisia’s government collapsed. All of them have reporters in Cairo, and are airing footage of the demonstrations on the streets. But none of them are reporting on the situation as compellingly as Al Jazeera English, which has reporters across the country. And if you’re in the United States, you can probably only see Al Jazeera English online. If you’re watching Al Jazeera, you’re seeing uninterrupted live video of the demonstrations, along with reporting from people actually on the scene, and not “analysis” from people in a studio. The cops were threatening to knock down the door of one of its reporters minutes ago. Fox has moved on to anchor babies. CNN reports that the ruling party building is on fire, but Al Jazeera is showing the fire live.
CNN, to its credit, is using coverage from the grown-ups at CNN International. MSNBC had Dan Senor (council on foreign relations) reporting from Davos. Yes, liberal MSNBC was getting live analysis from a neoconservative former spokesperson for the occupying U.S. government in Iraq. Fox just had former U.N. Ambassador and ultra-hawk John Bolton on to warn us about the Muslim Brotherhood. Al Jazeera had an opposition party leader on the phone.
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