Egypt Government Quits, Activists Call for 'Million-Man' Rally

By Al Jazeera and Agencies

22 November 11

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBb_V1QnM4A

Protesters angry at slow pace of change since January's revolution call "million-man march" in Cairo.

he developments came as a funeral procession took place in Tahrir Square for a protester who was killed.

Al Jazeera's Mike Hanna reporting from Tahrir Square, said: "Parading that dead body in the square is certainly something that is going to inflame emotions."

Some 20,000 defiantly demonstrated in the public square overnight, but the protests have yet to attract the hundreds of thousands who toppled Mubarak in February.

By afternoon on Tuesday crowds were swelling in Tahrir Square.

Our correspondent said there was a massive Egyptian flag being carried by a few hundred protesters, many of whom were shouting anti-military slogans.

"The people want the fall of the marshal," protesters chanted, referring to Tantawi.

"This land belongs to Egyptians. It is not for sale and does not need any guardians," one banner read. "All Egyptians demand an Egypt run by civilians," another said.

Dina Ahmed Hassan, 30, said she felt it was her obligation to come to Tahrir today to be among the million.

"I wanted to see the truth," Hassan said. "We're calling for an end to the violence against the Egyptian youth who don't have any weapons at all".

After expressing "deep regret for the victims in these painful incidents", the ruling council appealed for calm late on Monday and called for crisis talks with political forces to find a way forward, as well as calling for a justice ministry investigation into the latest unrest.

Brotherhood's Stand

The Muslim Brotherhood announced on Tuesday it would participate in talks aimed at ending the deadly clashes.

"The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces has called a meeting [for Tuesday] and we will participate," said Saad al-Katatni, secretary-general of the Party of Freedom and Justice, the Brotherhood's political wing.

"One major player not calling on its members to come to Tahrir Square today is the Muslim Brotherhood," our correspondent reported on Monday.

"This is interesting because they're the single largest political bloc."

Many demonstrators, however, condemned the military's call for the talks.

"All the military council is saying now makes absolutely no sense," Mohamed Sobhy, a 30-year-old translator, said.

"They kill us and then say they want to investigate the incident. I want to understand how can they be party to the battle and at the same time be the arbitrator."

Al Jazeera's Jamal Elshayyal, reporting from Cairo, said many Egyptians had lost trust in Tantawi after the government "resumed military trials for civilians, torture and excessive use of force by the military".

Tahrir Square has remained the major rallying point for protesters, recalling the 18-day uprising that ended Mubarak's three decades of power.

Elsewhere, some 5,000 people surrounded a security headquarters in the northern coastal city of Alexandria and police responded by firing live ammunition, witnesses said.

Security forces also battled about 4,000 demonstrators in the port city of Ismailia on the Suez Canal, witnesses said.

Also see: Al Jazeera reports: "The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) reportedly asked ElBaradei on Monday to take on the role of prime minister, but ElBaradei is said to be hesitating over assurances on his authority to choose ministers."