Egypt demonstrations escalate; government blocks Internet
Top story: Demonstrators again clashed with riot police in Cairo in the largest and most violent day of demonstrations in Egypt since they began on Tuesday. Police fired water cannons at pro-democracy leader Mohammed ElBaradei and his supporters and used tear gas and rubber bullets on the crowds at at least six sites throughout the city. President Hosni Mubarak has not made any statements or appeared in public since the demonstrations began.
The demonstrations were joined today by the banned Muslim Brotherhood party, Egypt's largest opposition group. A spokesman for the Brotherhood said that dozens of its activists were arrested after the announcement was made. In total, more than 1,000 people have been arrested and at least 7 killed since the protests began.
In an unprecedented move in the Internet age, the government appeared to have shut down internet and mobile phone service on Friday morning in an effort to prevent activists from using social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter or organize the rallies.
WikiLeaks: U.S. diplomatic cables made public by WikiLeaks show Obama administration making an effort to avoid direct confrontation with the Egyptian regime over human rights and democracy issues, the New York Times reports.
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-By Joshua Keating |  |
MOHAMMED ABED/AFP/Getty Images
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