Troops in riot gear patrol Cairo as demonstrators plan mass protests

Troops wearing riot gear toted automatic weapons and stood guard in the area around Cairo's Tahrir Square early Friday, as anti-government demonstrators promised another day of large protests to demand President Hosni Mubarak's resignation.
Security forces detained some people leaving the square, pointing guns at them and forcing them to lie on the ground. Others blocked the nearby October 6 bridge.
A handful of pro-government protesters cheered as large vans filled with security forces arrived at the square around 6 a.m. (11 p.m. ET). It was unclear whether those inside were members of the military or police.
Anti-government protesters have pledged to bring droves of demonstrators to the square Friday for what they dubbed a "Day of Farewell" and "Day of Departure."
Tension already was building in Cairo before dawn Friday, but it was not clear whether organizers of the protests -- scheduled to start after Friday prayers -- would be able to rally the numbers they had last week, or reach the presidential palace.
Mubarak is not gone, but his days are numbered. The leader agreed Tuesday to not seek re-election in September.
In the bloody blur of days since his announcement that he would not stand for re-election, regime foes and supporters have clashed repeatedly in Tahrir Square, the center of anti-government demonstrations. Eight people have been killed and nearly 850 injured, according to the health ministry.
Mubarak told ABC News Thursday he would like to step down right away, but cannot because he does not want to risk plunging his nation into chaos.
Vice President Omar Suleiman blamed the media for some of the unrest that has plagued his country since anti-government demonstrations began January 25.
"I actually blame certain friendly nations who have television channels, they are not friendly at all, who have intensified the youth against the nation and the state," Suleiman told Nile TV. "They have filled in the minds of the youth with wrongdoings, with allegations, and this is unacceptable."
Thursday saw an escalation of attacks on journalists covering the demonstrations, and reporters said it was too dangerous to be at Tahrir Square or show live images of the scene on air.
Many of those targeted asked whether the government was clearing them out of the way to cloak its actions.
Mubarak told ABC News correspondent Christiane Amanpour that he was troubled by the bloody clashes that broke out Wednesday in Tahrir Square.
As the United States and other countries condemned increasing attacks on journalists and diplomats, Mubarak rejected the notion that government instigated the violence in the country, instead blaming the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamist umbrella group that is banned in Egypt.
"I don't care what people say about me," Mubarak told ABC. "Right now I care about my country, I care about Egypt.
"I was very unhappy about yesterday. I do not want to see Egyptians fighting each other," he said in the interview, which was conducted at the heavily guarded presidential palace, where the embattled leader has been staying with his family.
Mubarak told ABC that U.S. President Barack Obama is a very good man, but bristled at the notion of an ally's interference in internal problems. He said he told Obama: "You don't understand the Egyptian culture and what would happen if I step down now."
Obama has said he told Mubarak a transition must take place, and it "must be meaningful, it must be peaceful and it must begin now."
Mubarak said he never intended to seek re-election or for his son, Gamal, to seek the post. He made the comment to Amanpour in his son's presence.
The Obama administration had no comment on the interview. A White House aide told CNN the only thing that caught the administration's attention from the interview was Mubarak's comments about his son.
Mubarak's concession that he would not run for re-election has not been enough for tens of thousands of protesters demanding immediate change.
All day long, Mubarak's supporters and foes clashed to retain control of Tahrir Square, the central city plaza that has become the symbol of the 10-day Egyptian uprising. Many looked like medieval warriors, toting handcrafted shields while throwing stones and other objects.
Top government leaders vowed to hold accountable perpetrators of the bloodshed and told protesters to return home.
"I want to thank the youth for all you have done," Suleiman said on state-run Nile TV. "You are the lights that have ignited reform in this period. Please give the (government a) chance to play its role. All of your demands have been met."
Suleiman told ABC that Egyptian troops will not force anti-Mubarak protesters to leave Tahrir Square.
Mubarak supporters, some believed to be paid government thugs, converged with anti-government crowds Wednesday in a confrontation that quickly evolved into continuing mayhem in Tahrir Square. At least eight people were killed and 836 injured, including 200 wounded within one hour Thursday morning, according to the health ministry.
Journalists covering the crisis also became targets -- beaten, bloodied, harassed and detained by men, most all in some way aligned with Mubarak.
Numerous news outlets -- including the BBC, ABC News, Fox News, the Washington Post and CNN -- reported members of their staffs had either been attacked or arrested. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch also reported that staffers were detained.
New York Times columnist Nicholas D. Kristof said he feared an even broader crackdown.
"Why doesn't the government want us around? What is it that it plans to do in the next few days that it really doesn't want cameras to be able to report on?" Kristof asked on CNN's "Situation Room."
The U.S. State Department publicly condemned the crackdown on journalists, and officials told CNN they have received reports that Egypt's Interior Ministry was involved.
Egyptian Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq apologized repeatedly for the violence. He blamed infiltrators and a "complete disappearance" of police for the human toll in the "catastrophe."
"This group got in and some clashes happened," Shafiq said, adding that he would look into whether the violence was part of an organized attempt to disband the opposition.
Shafiq said he and Suleiman were meeting with the opposition -- including protesters in Tahrir Square. He said no one would be excluded from the national dialogue, including the Muslim Brotherhood.
The United States is stepping up pressure on the opposition to begin immediate negotiations with the Egyptian government, recognizing the orderly transition to democracy Obama called for could prove difficult if Mubarak stepped down immediately.
"We can't dictate what an orderly transition means, but it's time for both of them to roll up their sleeves," a senior State Department official told CNN. "The government has to take some steps, but the opposition has to be willing to participate in negotiations as well."