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An Egyptian protester flashes Egypt's flag as anti-riot policemen use water canon against protesters in Cairo, Egypt, January 28, 2011
Tens of thousands of protesting Egyptians flooded into the streets after Friday's prayers in mounting demonstrations calling for an end to President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule.
Security forces fired tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters in central Cairo, where some of the larger demonstrations were held. Trucks of police armed with water cannons lined Cairo avenues as government forces attempted to disperse crowds.
Internet service, a key tool for activists, was shut down across the country shortly after midnight. Cell phone text messaging and data plans were also disabled. Telecom company Vodafone says the Egyptian government ordered all mobile telephone operators to suspend service in parts of the country.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appealed for Egypt's leaders and its people not to let violence escalate. He says world leaders should view the protests as a chance to hear the "legitimate concerns" of their people.
Earlier, Egypt's largest opposition group, the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, says at least five senior leaders and five former members of parliament were arrested in raids.
The group has said it will join protests, but has not organized the demonstrations headed by young people angry at poor living standards and authoritarian rule.
At least five people have been killed and the government says 800 people have been detained since Tuesday. Human rights groups say there have been more than 2,000 arrests.
The 82-year-old Egyptian president has not been seen or heard from since the protests began Tuesday with tens of thousands marching in Cairo and other cities.
In Washington, U.S. President Barack Obama said political reforms were "absolutely critical" to Egypt's "long-term well-being," boosting pressure on Mr. Mubarak to implement changes while acknowledging he is a critical U.S. ally.
In his first comments on the unrest in Egypt, Mr. Obama on Thursday urged the government and the protesters to refrain from violence.
Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
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andrewbonar Everything ██is█████ ████ ████fine ███ █ ████ love. ████ █████ the ███ Egypt ███ ████ government ██ #jan25 #Egypt #censorship 10 hours ago · reply 700+ recent retweets
EDSETIADI "Egyptian Christians said they will guard the Muslims from the police while they on Friday Pray." Amazing solidarity. #Egypt #Jan25 7 hours ago · reply 200+ recent retweets
nrodovsky RT @Jan25voices: Live Phonecall: CHANT "Saudi Arabia is waiting for you Mubarak" #jan25 #jan28 #Egypt 13 seconds ago · reply
WSMIreland Al Jazerra - main police station in Suez stormed, prisoners freed, 3 armoured vehicles burning #egypt 13 seconds ago · reply
arzugeybulla RT @Beirutiyat: RT @shababassafir Confirmed via aljazeera eng. 2 women killed. hit in head by teargas cans on oct6 bridge. #egypt #jan25 (via @amunati) 14 seconds ago · reply
Linda_Marric RT @EDSETIADI: "Egyptian Christians said they will guard the Muslims from the police while they on Friday Pray." Amazing solidarity. #Egypt #Jan25 13 seconds ago · reply
Mondoweiss RT @SherineT: AJ's Rawya in Alexandria: Things getting worse; tear gas being fired by police; smoke everywhere; #Egypt #Jan25 13 seconds ago · reply
khaledelhage RT @iamvatoni: Mobile operators in #Egypt have been instructed to suspend services in selected areas. http://bit.ly/gnVesi 15 seconds ago · reply
r7aal RT @mureedhammad: MUST READ #WikiLeaks document on PRESIDENTIAL SUCCESSION IN #EGYPT .. http://wikileaks.ch/cabl... 16 seconds ago · reply
jamelaaisha RT @SherineT: AJ's Jamal in Suez: Main police station taken over by protestors; 3 armored vehicles set alight #Egypt #Jan25 18 seconds ago · reply
sspcampsie RT @counterfireorg: #Egypt: AJE reporting young woman protester killed after being shot in head by tear gas canister. #revolution #25jan #mubarak 18 seconds ago · reply
thinkingmuslim RT @RamyYaacoub: #Cairo airport security is detaining all activists/journalists coming in :( #Egypt #Jan25 19 seconds ago · reply
nrodovsky RT @Jan25voices: Live Phonecall: Shots. First live shot fired into the air by officer standing on car. Batal Ahmed Abdel Aziz St #jan25 #jan28 #Egypt 19 seconds ago · reply
peterschloss WATCH: Live coverage of #Egypt protests http://bit.ly/gvYzj7 (h/t @SteveCase ) 19 seconds ago · reply
SherineT AJ's Rawya in Alexandria: Things getting worse; tear gas being fired by police; smoke everywhere; #Egypt #Jan25 19 seconds ago · reply
anthropographic RT @bencnn: So far today? Attacks on protesters, press. Internet, cell phone service cut. Nobel laureate arrested. And day still young. #Jan25 #Egypt 20 seconds ago · reply
fadyroumieh RT @ShawkattRaghib: Verified: Security forces openly denounce orders to attack protesters at Al-Azhar. #Egypt #Jan25 22 seconds ago · reply
iran_letter RT @Bsalamati: up to 40,000 protestors in Mansoura RT @alharfi: #Egypt #Jan25 عدد المتظاهرين في المنصورة يصل لأربعين ألف متظاهر 23 seconds ago · reply
manyko2 RT @OakFoSho: Do you want to watch LIVE coverage of #Egypt? Check out www.LiveStation.com Al Jazeera & Press TV w/live coverage. #Jan25 #p2 23 seconds ago · reply
MAliBarre RT @alshaheeed: Police agents are pouring petrol in all main squares to light them up during protests. Please retweet & Share #Egypt #Jan25 23 seconds ago · reply
samihtoukan I have never tweeted or retweeted at this rate...this is a historic moment...proud to be an Arab #egypt #jan25 24 seconds ago · reply
medienpirat Sind eigentlich die Iridium Satellitentelefone auch ausgeschaltet worden? #jan25 #egypt #agypten #Zeit für ein Satellitentelefon 24 seconds ago · reply
abidifactor #Egypt will fall soon! Yemen is preparing now #Arabrevolt 24 seconds ago · reply
JohnFMoore RT @AlecJRoss: #Jan25 #Egypt أن الولايات المتحدة تواصل حث الحكومة المصرية على عدم عرقلة الاتصالات ، بما في ذلك الإنترنت #netfreedom 24 seconds ago · reply
palfest RT @RiverDryFilm: FOLLOW @dancefromiraq who can still tweet from Cairo #egypt #jan25 25 seconds ago · reply
cddm0011 RT @usatoday: Watch: AlJazeera's dramatic live coverage in English of protests in #Egypt http://usat.ly/eRmcSY 27 seconds ago · reply
nrodovsky RT @Jan25voices: Live Phonecall: CHANT "Gamal Leave with your Father." #jan25 #jan28 #Egypt 28 seconds ago · reply
Gheblawi Al-Jazeera in Suez says the police station in the port city has been taken over by protesters who have freed detainees #Egypt #Jan25 28 seconds ago · reply
siphojanuary RT @ProPublica: Digging into @wikileaks cables on #Egypt? This @nytimes story gives context http://nyti.ms/g5K3uC #wikileaks #jan25 29 seconds ago · reply
cherylabdul RT @EdinUniAntiCuts: #Solidarity with the people of #Egypt from students in #Edinburgh! #jan25 #25jan 28 seconds ago · reply
azadi2011 @monaeltahawy you are wrong, they did turn off internet for days in iran #iranelection #egypt 30 seconds ago · reply
petefang RT @BreakingNews: Police in #Egypt detain pro-democracy leader Mohamed ElBaradei - Al-Jazeera via Reuters 30 seconds ago · reply
Lassam RT @octavianasr: Aljazeera: Alexandria security forces refuse to shoot tear gas at protesters. Cairo plainclothed police spread to disrupt protests. #Egypt 30 seconds ago · reply
thegeopolitico BBCArabic: Situation seems to now be out of control on Suez in #Egypt #Jan25 - anybody got the latest update from there? 31 seconds ago · reply
MajidAlhamdan RT @Ahmed_F_: حسني الذي لم يبرح كرسيه منذ ما يقرب من ثلاثين عاماً هو ظاهرة حية للطغيان وللوقاحة والتمسك المستميت بالسُلطة. حان وقته اليوم #Egypt #Jan25 30 seconds ago · reply
eqcco Protests signal the end of Egypt's 'Pharaoh complex' - http://ht.ly/3LTyi #egypt #jan25 30 seconds ago · reply
hadouta RT @manal: ♻ @Jan25voices: Live Phonecall: Nile Bridge, El Gamaa bridge, Abbas Bridge all closed. Trying to divide apart city. #jan25 #jan28 #Egypt 30 seconds ago · reply
Ssmdad RT @Dima_Khatib: Reports of casualties in Tahrir Square according to witness. Police has been using so much gas.. #egypt #jan25 31 seconds ago · reply
Jansait “@alarabiya_ar: عاجل: مصر: اشعال النار في مقر الحزب الوطني في دمياط #alarabiya #jan25 #egypt #cairo #elbaradei” 32 seconds ago · reply
