3 Dead in Rare Egypt Protests

Massive anti-government protests in Egypt today left three people dead, and demonstrators vowed to camp out overnight and continue demonstrations tomorrow, reports AP. Riot police in Cairo used tear gas, water cannons, and batons throughout the day to try to disperse protesters, who marched in what activists called a “day of revolt” inspired by the protests in Tunisia. A Cairo policeman died after being hit in the head with a rock, as did two protesters in Suez, one killed by tear gas inhalation and the other by a rock.

Tens of thousands backed the Cairo demonstrations on Facebook, reports BBC, and there have been reports that Twitter has been blocked and mobile phone networks in the city knocked offline. At one demonstration, protesters rushed a water cannon vehicle, forcing out its driver, while officers beat back protesters with batons to try to prevent them from reaching the main protest nearby. “I came here today willing to die,” one 43-year-old protester said. “I have nothing to fear.” The protests are the biggest in Egypt's modern history.
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