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By CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR
Cairo gave way to armed chaos.
The Egyptian military stood neutral as pro- and anti-
Mubarak crowds exchanged punches and rocks and
Molotov cocktails. The question now becomes: How
will the military respond now that bullets are flying
through Liberation Square?
It was a very ugly night in Cairo--and it could shape
up to be an even uglier day. This after violent
protests all day Wednesday.
It's quieter now as dawn is breaking and people now
are pouring into the square. But for at least two
hours, in the pre-dawn hours, there was shooting,
heavy shooting, into the protesters and into that
square, where women and children also had been all
night.
We will wait see how this day develops.
For Complete Coverage of the Crisis in Egypt,
Featuring Exclusive Reporting From Christiane
Amanpour, Click Here
On Wednesday, after five days of peaceful protests,
the square suddenly was engulfed in all-out battle.
It did not look to be a spontaneous eruption. It
appeared to be deliberately orchestrated political
theater, a planned and organized bid by supporters
of President Hosni Mubarak to send a message. The
stage for the violence, Tahrir Square, was in full view
of the world audience.
Anti-government demonstrators have occupied the
square for more than a week.
The group rushing the square all came from one area
and it happened all at once. As we stood on the roof
of Associated Press television headquarters preparing
to do a broadcast, we could see that down on the
street, the throngs protesting had gone from a couple
of hundred pro-Mubarak people to what looked
Then we saw men on horseback and camels rushing
the square. The whole thing had the feel of an
organized band of thugs moving in. That was when
the pro- and anti-government demonstrators began
fighting, throwing bricks with the army standing by.
Around 4 p.m., we started to hear gunshots and we
could not be sure where they were coming from.
Some of those who began beating and throwing
stones at the anti-government protesters were likely
genuine Mubarak supporters, but others were
wearing uniforms indicating they were government
workers. Many looked to be agitators. It was widely
thought that a number were police and security forces
in civilian clothes.
Each time the pro-Mubarak forces charged them, the
protesters fell back, only to inch forward again once
the pressure had receded. There were Molotov
cocktails. People the square were smashing the
pavement.
Eventually the ground all around this historic
square, in front of the Egyptian Antiquities museum,
was ripped up and turned into projectiles. After a
battle of several hours, the protesters were in control
Was Swarming the Door'
some improvements. The Internet was restored and
curfew hours were shortened.
But even this morning, before the clashes, the
jubilation of the last few days had already given way
to an overwhelming sense of fear about how this is
now going to go.
In Tahrir Square, protesters had been telling us two
things. Some were saying that President Hosni
Mubarak's announcement Tuesday night, in which he
announced that he would not seek reelection, was not
enough and that he has to go now.
Others told us that although they have protested
against him, they want him to leave in an orderly
fashion, with dignity.
A majority, it seemed, were concerned that if he left
quickly, the economy and institutions could collapse,
resulting in an explosion of crime and violence.
If Mubarak leaves precipitously, there could be real
chaos. Mubarak's party had been sending a message
on state TV regarding moves to restore law and order.
The army, in a new statement on television, had urged
the protesters to go home, "for the love of Egypt."
But when pro-Mubarak forces rushed the square, it
turned the sentiments. We had gone over to interview
Amr Moussa, the longtime President of the Arab
League. He said the demonstrators had sent a clear
message that the Arab world was ready for
democracy.
As we left the Arab League headquarters, a band of
angry pro-Mubarak demonstrators were already
gathered around the Amr Moussa's headquarters. By
the time we got to our office at the Associated Press
TV, a mob was swarming the door.
Those opposed to change have clearly turned
against the media. One of the women who works there
later told us that as she approached the building with
a camera in her hand, the crowd pulled her by her
scarf, trying to pull her to the ground.
On Tuesday, two of our colleagues were arrested and
roughed up by a plainclothes policeman who tried to
seize their camera. After several young Egyptian men
intervened and argued with them, they were let go.
Our producer heard one of the young men mutter,
Home'
Tahrir Square, an angry mob of pro-Mubarak
protesters surrounded us and chased us into the car,
shouting that they hated us and America. Some of the
protesters kicked in the car doors and broke our
windshield as we drove away.
As night fell, nobody was certain what would come
next. There are fears that now the military and the
people may now be headed for a showdown. The
military amended its earlier request that "everyone go
home."
Now they have issued an order: "Leave Tahrir
Square."
Do you have questions about the mass protests in
Egypt? Submit your questions to Christiane
Amanpour HERE.
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