Cairo readies for ’Friday of martyrs’

Cairo readies for 'Friday of martyrs'

Protests at Cairo's Tahrir Square entered day 16 yesterday, a day after many first timers took part in a massive demonstration to oust Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, with the government warning that it could not 'put up with continued protests' for a long time.

Thousands of Egyptians camped through the night at Tahrir Square, the focal point of their protests that have spread across the country.

Egyptian anti-government protesters shout slogans against President Hosni Mubarak outside the parliament yesterday

The protesters were upbeat after Tuesday's rally that saw hundreds of thousands of Egyptians, many of them first timers, participating in it to press for the ouster of Mubarak who has ruled the country for nearly 30 years.

Mubarak's defiance has made the protesters more determined.

Newly-appointed Vice President Omar Suleiman said that his government "can't put up with continued protests" for a long time.

In a sharply worded statement reflecting the regime's impatience with the mass demonstrations, he said the crisis must end as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, recently-freed Google executive Wael Ghonim appears to be calling for another huge demonstration.
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"We are hoping that 'Friday of Martyrs' will be the world's largest funeral to bid farewell to 300 Egyptians," Ghonim tweeted yesterday.

Ghonim also said it was "no longer time to negotiate" with Mubarak, and that he was "ready to die" to bring change to Egypt.