20110205
reuters

CAIRO (Reuters) - An Egyptian army commander addressed thousands of demonstrators camped out at Tahrir Square in central Cairo on Saturday in an effort to persuade them to stop a protest that has stalled economic life in the capital.

"You all have the right to express yourselves but please save what is left of Egypt. Look around you," Hassan al-Roweny said using a loud speaker and standing on a podium.

The crowd responded with shouts that President Hosni Mubarak should resign, at which Roweny stepped down saying: "I will not speak amid such chants."

Earlier, troops moved some of the demonstrators to make way for traffic to flow again.

Several thousand people thronged the square on Saturday, many of whom had been camped out for days with banners and flags. Egypt's working week starts on Sunday, when banks are due to reopen.

"We need to clear the road in the square, we need traffic to flow again through Tahrir. The people can stay in Tahrir, but not on the road," al-Roweny said on a tour of the square to talk to protesters.

A cordon of soldiers created a space in the middle of the traffic hub, separating the protesters near the Egyptian museum end of the square from the rest.

There was a mixed reaction from protesters, who have had cordial relations with the military during 12 days of demonstrations.