Today marks the third day of protests and violence in Cairo as activists, hoping to force the removal of President Hosni Mubarak from office, take to the streets. In what observers see as unprecedented protests, the demonstrators have clashed repeatedly with police resulting in the death of at least three protestors and one policeman. Analysts believe that the protestors have taken their cue and their inspiration from the protests that have rocked Tunisia over the past week, as the Egyptian disturbances protest the 30-year reign of Mr. Mubarak.
Hosni Mubarak has a reputation as a strong-armed leader, and such violent demonstrations on this scale have not previously ignited under his rule. In response to the throwing of rocks and petrol bombs Egyptian police have fired tear gas and rubber bullets at the activists. On Wednesday demonstrators burned tires and threw stones at police in central Cairo, and in Suez a government building was set aflame.