Thousands of protesters demanding the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak continued to flock to Tahrir Square in downtown Cairo for the sixteenth consecutive day of popular demonstrations. The protesters said they were willing to continue the Tahrir protests for an additional two weeks or until their demands were achieved.
During the third consecutive week of the revolution, the protesters seemed even more determined to fight out a long battle against the regime, having turned Tahrir Square into what looks like a temporary camp. Hundreds of thousands of protesters join in each day, with some sleeping in tents that have sprung up in the center of the square.
Ali Ahmed, a 27-year-old protester, said next week will be named the "Week of stubbornness", an apparent reference to Mubarak’s refused to respond to their demands. He went on to say that the following week would be named "the farewell week ", in the hope that Mubarak would comply to the people's demands for him to step down.
German newspapers on Tuesday reported that US officials had allegedly put forward plans for Mubarak to travel to Germany for medical reasons as part of a graceful exit strategy for the Egyptian president. However, despite those reports, the protesters still insist that Mubarak step down immediately.
Egyptian Vice President Omar Suleiman stressed that Mubarak was one of the heroes of Egypt's 1973 October War with Israel, and that the military establishment could not forget its glorious history.
Both sides are now betting on the time factor, however, as the regime offers concessions that have not been accepted by the protesters, and both sides hold firm to their stances.
Over the past two days, the government announced a 15 percent raise in salaries for government employees, increased employment opportunities in the public sector, and an exemption of late fines and postponement of social security fees. The government also announced it was taking steps to amend the constitution, eradicate poverty and hold accountable those found to be corrupt.
However, the new promises and measures did not resonate with the protesters, who demanded Mubarak’s departure through song, chants, banners, poetry and caricatures.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
