Cairo day of departure calls for Mubarak's ouster

Tens of thousands of demonstratorsurgedlongtime Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to step down during a massive "day of departure" rally in Cairo's Tahrir Square.

Large crowds of men, women and children filled the square Fridayfor the 11th day of anti-government demonstrations, which continued into the night.

Under heavy military watch, theprotesterswaved Egyptian flags, sang and chanted their message to Mubarak: "Leave! Leave! Leave!"

At a jointnews conference inWashington Friday, U.S. President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Stephen Harper both urged a peaceful transition in Egypt.

Obama said he has spoken twice by phone to Mubarak since the crisis started and his government continues to monitor the situation closely.

"The future of Egypt will be determined by its people. It's also clear that there needs to be a transition process that begins now. That transition must initiate a process that respects the universal rights of the Egyptian people and leads to free and fair elections."

The details of this transition, which is already underway, will be worked out by the Egyptian people, added Harper.

Mubarak, who has ruled the country for nearly 30 years,has said he will not run in the September presidential election, but protesters are pushing for rapid change.

Soldierschecked identification and performed body searches atthe entrances as crowds of people flowed into the square.

CBC's Nahlah Ayed said some of theprotesters were also checking bags and identifications.

"Both the protesters and the army are taking an active interest in keeping things secure here," Ayed said.

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The rally was largely peaceful, and Ayed said there was an atmosphere of "excited tension" in the crowded square.

Mostafa Hussein, a doctor who spent the last two days treating people wounded in theviolent turmoil, was in the square Friday.

"There are thousands and thousands of people," he said. "I cant really count the number, but its more than the past few days."

CBC's David Common said someMubarak supporters also staged their own large demonstrations on Friday, but they were kept apart from the anti-Mubarak groups by an increased military presence on the streets of Cairo.

Demonstratorshad been keeping a peaceful vigil for days before violence intensified on Wednesday, a day after Mubarak said he wouldn'tstep down immediately. At least 11 people have been killed and about 900 injuredaround the TahrirSquaresince Wednesday, officials said.

Since Jan. 25, when the demonstrations began, 109 people have lost their lives. .

Protesters also poured into the streets in Alexandria, Egypts second-largest city.

Nesrine Abdallah, whowas at the anti-government demonstrationsin the port city, said the crowds were so large that she couldn't see the edges.

"Most of the people here are saying they are still going to come out every single day until this regime falls," she said.

The Facebook page that started the protest movement called on supporters to gather Friday in all Egyptian squares "so that we can put the last nail in the regime's coffin, and declare the victory of the Jan. 25 revolution."

The rally follows reports thatU.S. and Egyptian officials are discussing a planin whichMubarak would step down immediately.

The New York Times said Thursday that the plan would seea transitional government led by Vice-President Omar Suleiman brought in with military backing.

Mubarak'simmediate departure is just one of several proposals under discussion, the Times said. The newspaper reported officials said there are no indications Suleiman or the military areprepared to stop supporting Mubarak.

Mubarak said in an interview Thursday that he wanted to step down, but fears chaos if he does.

"I am fed up. After 62 years in public service, I have hadenough. I want to go," Mubarak said in a 20-minute interview with ABC's Christiane Amanpour at the presidential palace in Cairo.

On Monday night, he saidin a speech to the nation that he won't step down before elections in September.

Suleiman said on state television on Thursdaythatelections must wait until September because the government needs time to talk to different political parties, and put judicial and constitutional reforms in place.Healso said Mubarak's son, Gamal Mubarak,will not attempt to succeed his father.

Meanwhile, prominent Egyptian reform advocate Mohamed ElBaradei said the president"should hear the clear voice coming from the people and leave in dignity."

He told reporters Friday there should be a yearlong transition to democracy under a temporary constitution with a presidential council of several people, including a military representative.

Journalist dies of wounds

On Friday,Egyptian journalist Ahmed Mohammed Mahmoud, who was shot on Jan. 28, died of his wounds. It was thefirst reported death of a journalistsince theprotests began.

CBC's Susan Ormiston and her crew travelled to the presidential palace in Cairo, about 15 kilometres from Tahrir Square, only to be detained for 2 hours by police.

Once released, crew members had to pass through several dangerous areas andwere surrounded four times by mobs on the way back to their hotel. Ormiston gave credit tothe crew's Egyptian translator for helping get them through the roadblocks.

On Friday Navi Pillay, the UNs top human rights official,denounced attacks on activists and journalists, and said they're "clearly a blatant attempt to stifle news" about demands for Mubarak to step down.

The treatment of journalists led Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon to call in the Egyptian ambassador to Canada to express his "grave concerns" about the treatment of journalists.

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