Thousands of protesters defied a curfew and stormed government buildings in another day of bloody rioting in Cairo yesterday.
Police and the military clashed with rioters as President Hosni Mubarak sent the army on to the streets and demonstrators burned government buildings, including his party’s headquarters.
They also targeted the foreign ministry and Egypt’s state television HQ.
The death toll rose to 32 with at least 1,030 injured in Cairo alone as security forces and protesters fought running battles across the country.
Last night President Mubarak appeared on TV for the first time since the protests erupted. The embattled leader announced he was asking his Cabinet to resign in an attempt to calm the violence.
But he defended the security forces’ brutal crackdown on protesters and insisted he was committed to reform, showing no signs of stepping down after 30 years in power.
“I have asked the government to present its resignation today.” Mubarak said.
As the violence raged, America’s former president Bill Clinton urged the country’s leaders to adopt reforms and allow peaceful protests.
Security officials admitted that there were protests in at least 11 of the country’s 28 provinces.
President Mubarak sent tanks on to the streets and announced a 6pm to 7am curfew to support riot police as the fourth day of demonstrations spread.
Water cannons, rubber bullets and tear gas were fired into crowds after the government banned access to the internet and restricted text messaging, which was being used to organise protests. Internet monitoring firm Renesys said the total shutdown of the web in Egypt was “unprecedented in internet history”.
It said: “The Egyptian government’s actions tonight have essentially wiped their country from the global map.”
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