20110126
xinhua

CAIRO, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of Egyptian protesters hit the streets Tuesday in an unprecedented demonstration against President Hosni Mubarak and the government, clashing with police and bringing downtown Cairo to standstill.

Security sources said over 10,000 people took part in Tuesday's rally in Cairo described by on-line organizers as the "Day of Anger" to protest against corruption, poverty, unemployment and other social and political grievances.

Major streets in downtown Cairo saw a heavy presence of police and security forces on Tuesday, the holiday for the country's National Police Day.

Demonstrators broke down security forces cordons to march to the Tahrir Square in downtown Cairo, holding Egyptian flag and shouting anti-regime slogans calling for change and the ouster of President Mubarak.

"We do not want Mubarak," shouted protesters, in reference to the president who has been in power for three decades. Other protesters chanted "revolution, revolution."

The demonstration, the largest one since Mubarak took office in 1981, started peacefully, but turned to violence several hours later.

Riot police clashed with demonstrators, firing tear gas and using water cannons to disperse crowds in central Cairo, while protestors threw stones at the police and attacked the water cannon truck in return, to what local reporters there described as a war zone.

The clash led to injuries and Xinhua reporters witnessed some protesters were wounded with blood shedding on their heads. Many others were wounded by the tear gas or by sticks of the security men, and were carried to nearby hospitals by ambulances.

By nightfall, protesters continued to demonstrate in the Tahrir Square and vowed to carry on until dawn.