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Egypt opposition calls for more protests

An Egyptian opposition group has called on Egyptians to take to the streets again, a day after unprecedented nationwide rallies against President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule.

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Source: AFP


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An Egyptian opposition group has called on Egyptians to take to the streets again, a day after unprecedented nationwide rallies against President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule.

The pro-democracy youth group April 6 Movement, which launched the call for Tuesday's protests, urged people to head to Cairo's main square, just hours after police fired tear gas on thousands of protesters to disperse them.

"Everyone needs to head down to Tahrir Square to take over the square once again," the group said on its Facebook page - which along with Twitter had helped to organise the protests.

Tuesday's demonstrations, dubbed "the day of anger" and inspired by the uprising in Tunisia, left two protesters and one policeman dead.

"Mubarak get lost", "Bread, liberty, dignity", and "We will follow Tunisia", the demonstrators chanted.

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The protests were considered the largest and most significant since riots over bread subsidies shook the Arab world's most populous nation in 1977.

Despite some 20,000 to 30,000 police being deployed in central Cairo, thousands of demonstrators marched to Tahrir Square on Tuesday, where they chanted in unison: "The people want the ouster of the regime."

They also tore down posters of Mubarak.

The White House said Tuesday that Egypt's government should be "responsive" to its people's aspirations.

"The Egyptian government has an important opportunity to be responsive to the aspirations of the Egyptian people, and pursue political, economic and social reforms that can improve their lives and help Egypt prosper," it said in a statement.


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