Egypt Protesters Plan Friday Push

Furious protesters stayed well into the wee hours of Friday morning in Cairo’s Tahrir Square, while demonstrations were planned on Friday at at least six sites throughout the Egyptian capital, including the parliament and the television building, in what organizers said would be the largest push yet. One activist said Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak had “set the country on fire,” and added, “Tomorrow I think a lot of people will be killed.” The day began in a jubilant way for protesters after numerous government officials had suggested that Mubarak would be resigning in his national address. But the mood quickly soured as Mubarak refused to resign, simply ceding some powers to his vice president. President Barack Obama issued a statement Thursday dialing up his criticism of Mubarak and calling for a “genuine” transition.