Egyptian protesters promise a march on presidential palace

PanARMENIAN.Net - Protesters enraged by President Hosni Mubarak's latest refusal to step down promised massive demonstrations Feb 11 - possibly including a march on the presidential palace - as they warned that Egypt could explode in violence and pleaded for the military to intervene.

Mubarak gave most of his powers to his vice president but refused to resign or leave the country late Feb 10, hours after the military made moves that had all the markings of a coup. The military gave no immediate response following Mubarak's speech, and its position remained ambiguous.

"We are waiting for a strong reaction from the army to Mubarak's speech," said Mohammed Mustapha, a protest spokesman. He said "huge numbers" of protesters were expected Friday and that many wanted to march on the Oruba palace, the main presidential palace several miles (kilometers) away Cairo's Tahrir Square, where the protests have been concentrated.

By early Friday organizers had not made a formal call for such a march, but hundreds of protesters already had gathered outside the palace in the hours after Mubarak's speech, according to witnesses and TV reports. The residence where Mubarak normally stays when he is in Cairo is inside the palace, though it was not known if he was there, the AP reported.