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Heba Morayef

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Tahrir Square

Posted: 01/30/11 04:20 PM ET

Several thousand people remain in Tahrir Square; many say they're planning to spend the night and stay till Mubarak resigns. There was a huge cheer when we heard Mohamed ElBaradei was coming but unfortunately most of us couldn't hear what he said - no loudspeakers, apparently. A crowd of about 800 and lots of journalists crowded around to hear him speak but everyone else just carried on chanting, "Mubarak you must leave."

People were also very angry to hear that the Interior Ministry is ordering police back on to the streets - though the Army still has control in Tahrir Square. Yesterday they were calling for the minister's resignation, so they're very upset about that. It's been much more organized today, people going around with loudhailers urging people not to leave.

The square has emptied out since the afternoon but it's still a great atmosphere, a sense of solidarity, and very well-behaved - people are sitting around bonfires, or walking around picking up rubbish. Crowds who find occasional looters drag them over to the soldiers and hand them over. And no sexual harassment - which is not the norm downtown, especially when there are big groups gathering! We're happy to be eating koshary - thank goodness vendors are still selling street food because we're starving.

Live updates from Human Rights Watch staff on the ground: http://www.hrw.org/egypt-live-updates

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sfdcubfan
Vegan ASPCA Supporter
01:19 PM on 01/31/2011
Please be safe!
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Paperless Tiger
07:07 AM on 01/31/2011
"...thank goodness vendors are still selling street food because we're starving."

The Revolution will be catered.
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
barakagirl
My "Micro-bio"? are we talking germs?
12:07 AM on 01/31/2011
Please tell the Egyptian people NOT TO GIVE UP! we need regime change not loose change with reshuffling of the cabinet.
PLEASE TELL THE PEOPLE THE WHOLE WORLD IS WATCHING AND BACKING THEM! peacefull revolution is what they need to focus on... WE NEED REAL change in Egypt! It's about the Egyptian people and not USA! it's about what they want. MUBARAK needs to go now and I hope Lybians, Sudanese and Moroccan wake up too let's not forget Izr.aell, Iran, Syria and Saudi Arabia all should be cleaned up of their egotistic and extremist leaders...
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
patches12
10:08 AM on 01/31/2011
Don't worry.. before this is all over.. whatever goes wrong will be blamed on the US
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greg abbott
Anti-Apartheid and Pro-Democracy
12:00 AM on 01/31/2011
//Several thousand people remain in Tahrir Square; many say they're planning to spend the night and stay till Mubarak resigns//

That's just so coo!
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
marknez21
11:55 PM on 01/30/2011
Gamal Al Din Mohammed Hosni Sayed Mubarakborn 1963, is the younger of the two sons of current Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Suzanne Mubarak (the First Lady). In contrast to his older brother Alaa, Gamal has pursued an active public profile and was starting to wield some influence on political life in the country before the current unrest, during which it is reported he has fled to London.
For his early education, Gamal Mubarak attended St. George's College, Cairo before entering the American University in Cairo. He graduated with a Business Degree from the university and he claims he also earned an MBA from the school.[citation needed] He began his professional life working for Bank of America's Egyptian branch. He was then transferred to the London branch, ultimately becoming one of its executives[citation needed]. He worked primarily in the field of investment banking.
With a few colleagues, Mubarak left Bank of America to set up London-based Medinvest Associates Ltd, which manages a private equity fund, and to do some corporate finance consultancy work.[1] His role with Medinvest has since ended.
He is also the Chairman of the Future Generation Foundation (FGF), an NGO dedicated to job training, and an honorary member of the Rotary, which was awarded to him in May 2000 by then Rotary International president Frank Devlyn.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamal_Mubarak

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJlw0FbJmsM&feature=player_embedded
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
AbuHamza
11:35 PM on 01/30/2011
Great work, Heba! Stay safe and enjoy the 'koshary'...