Cairo, Jan. 28: The Egyptian President, Mr Hosni Mubarak, imposed a night curfew and signalled he was about to send the military out in the streets for the first time to quell an unprecedented challenge to his rule by thousands of protesters, who rioted on Friday.
One demonstrator was killed and even the Nobel Peace laureate, Mr Mohamed ElBaradei, was placed under house arrest after joining the protests.
State television said the curfew would be in force from 6 pm to 7 am in Cairo, the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria and the flashpoint city of Suez, east of the capital. It said the military will work with the police to enforce the ban.
It was the most drastic measure so far to quell daily riots and protests that began on Tuesday and spiralled into chaos on Friday after noon prayers.
Groups of thousands of protesters, some chanting “Out, out, out,” defied a ban on any gatherings and turned out at different venues across Cairo, a city of about 18 million people. Some marched toward major squares and across scenic Nile bridges. Burning tires sent up plumes of black smoke across the cityscape as the sun set. Security officials said there were protests in at least 11 of the country’s 28 provinces.
Internet via Egyptian servers was blocked across the nation after midnight, closing a key tool for activists relying on social media sites. Cellphone services also appeared to be disabled or working sporadically.