Emboldened by workers' strike across Egypt, thousands of pro-democracy protesters today carried out massive rallies against President Hosni Mubarak as they vowed to step up their 17-day revolt despite the government's warning that army could "intervene to control the country."
Egyptian labour unions went on a nationwide strike for the second consecutive day, giving a new dimension to the demonstrations in Cairo and other cities against the embattled President's 30-year autocratic regime.
Lawyers, public transport workers and the artists syndicate were among those who joined the strike, Al Jazeera reported.
Thousands of protesters, who have been staging sit-ins on the Tahrir (Liberation) Square, the hub of the anti-government demonstrations in the heart of Cairo, refused to bow to the military pressure to "go home" and took out rallies against 82-year-old Mubarak as their movement entered the 17th day.
Several hundred protesters had yesterday attempted to block the entrance to the Parliament building, blocks away from the Tahrir Square, but were stopped by heavily-armed soldiers.
In a desperate attempt to end the revolt, Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit warned that the army would intervene if the protests escalated.
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"If chaos occurs, the armed forces will intervene to control the country, a step... Which would lead to a very dangerous situation," the official MENA news agency said quoting Abul Gheit as telling the Arabic-language Al-Arabiya channel.
But protesters, undeterred by the warning, chanted slogans against Mubarak and Vice President Omar Suleiman.
"No to Suleiman. No to American agents. No to Israeli spies. Long live Egypt. Down with Hosni Mubarak," they said while taking out a march outside Parliament building.
Suleiman had yesterday warned that if the protesters do not enter negotiations, a "coup" could take place, causing greater chaos in the country.
"If dialogue is not successful, the alternative is that a coup happens, which would mean uncalculated and hasty steps including lots of irrationalities," he had said.
At the Suez Canal, the crucial state-owned trade link between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea, about 6,000 workers went on strike yesterday amid reports of industrial unrest from across the country.