Cairo’s audacity of hope

CNN said Mubarak was expected to deliver a televised address,though it was unclear when that would happen. Internet traffic into and out of the country was cut off and cellphone networks disrupted. Vodafone said “all mobile operators in Egypt have been instructed to suspend services in selected areas.”

Demonstrations began earlier in the day as thousands poured from mosques after noon prayers,growing increasingly violent as protesters clashed with police who fired tear gas,rubber bullets and water cannons. The demonstrations,on what protesters called a “day of wrath,” were on a scale far beyond anything in the memory of most residents.

The unrest in Egypt came after weeks of turmoil across the Arab world that toppled one leader in Tunisia and encouraged protesters to overcome deep-rooted fears of their autocratic leaders and take to the streets. But Egypt is a special case — a heavyweight in Middle East diplomacy,in part because of its peace treaty with Israel,and a key ally of the United States. The country,often the fulcrum on which currents in the region turn,also has one of the largest and most sophisticated security forces in the Middle East.

Calling out the military is a signal of how dramatically the situation had spiraled out of control. The army,one of the country’s most powerful and respected institutions,prefers to remain behind the scenes and has not been sent into the streets to quell unrest in many years. But the police,a much reviled force prone to violent retribution against anyone who publicly defies the state,appeared unable to quell the unrest. In several cases in the capital and elsewhere,the police were forced to back down by throngs of protesters.

In one of the most dramatic scenes of the day,in Alexandria,protesters snatched batons,shields and helmets from the police. Honking cars drove up and down a main street,holding police riot shields and truncheons out the windows as trophies.

In both Cairo and Alexandria,some army patrols were greeted with applause and waves from the crowds — a seemingly incongruous response from demonstrators who say they want to bring down the president.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton,reading a prepared statement,called Friday on Egypt’s government to “restrain the security forces” and said that “reform is absolutely critical to the well-being of Egypt.”

“We urge the Egyptian authorities to allow peaceful protest and to reverse the unprecedented steps it has take to cut off communications,” she said. She also urged that protesters “refrain from violence and express themselves peacefully.”

The unrest in Egypt,a close ally,poses unique challenges for the Obama Administration,which has publicly supported Mubarak but privately pushed him to reform after decades in power.

At least one person appeared to have been killed during rioting in Suez,east of Cairo and the site of some of the most violent clashes. Reuters reported that protesters were carrying a man’s body through the streets as one demonstrator shouted,“They have killed my brother.” Details of his death were not immediately clear.

According to the Associated Press,Egyptian security officials said they had placed the most prominent opposition figures,Mohamed ElBaradei,under house arrest,but that could not be independently confirmed and reports throughout the day had been contradictory.

Shortly before,police doused ElBaradei with a water cannon and beat supporters who tried to shield him. “This is an indication of a barbaric regime,” said ElBaradei,the former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency,as he took refuge in a nearby mosque. “By doing this they are ensuring their destruction is at hand.”

At Al Azhar in old Cairo,thousands of people poured from one of the most iconic mosques of Sunni Islam,chanting “The people want to bring down the regime.” DAVID D KIRKPATRICK & ALAN COWELL