Egyptians Strike As Demonstrations Move to “Second Phase”

For the first time Cairo protesters plan to target sites outside of Tahrir Square.

Pressure continues to mount on President Hosni Mubarak to resign as Egyptians fed up with his obstinate regime step up efforts to oust him. About 5,000 workers at state-owned factories held strikes Wednesday, while public transport workers said Cairo’s buses would not be running Thursday. This week, for the first time protests moved to outside the Egyptian parliament building, where thousands staged demonstrations and hundreds have spent the night in makeshift shelters. Vice President Omar Suleiman has called for an end to the mass demonstrations, saying that they could lead to a coup from the army or within the regime. Mubarak refuses to step down before September, but has made sweeping reforms that appear to have only emboldened protesters.