Alexandria protest attracts more than 100,000

In the ancient seaside city of Alexandria, more than 100,000 people took to the streets Tuesday in protest, so many that there was no place large enough in Egypt’s second-largest city to accommodate the crowds.

So they gathered in different areas, from the Ibrahim Mosque to Masr Square, and eventually formed a mile-long procession that wound its way through the city like a victory parade.

Young men draped Egyptian flags over their shoulders. Old women clapped and waved from balconies. Most chanted for President Hosni Mubarak’s resignation, but a few stood silently and held up handmade posters, Norma Rae-style, over their heads. “Game Over Mubarak” was among the most popular.

“He just doesn’t get it,” said student Maher Sabir, 25, hours before Mubarak went on national television to announce that, though he wasn’t ready to step down immediately, he would not run for reelection in September.

“This is the proudest time of my life as an Egyptian,” said Sami Ismail, 40, a human resources manager. “There is no going back now.”

It was a jubilant mood usually reserved for soccer championships, with spontaneous choruses of Egypt’s national anthem.

At one burned-out police station, a line of people waited for their chance to go in and climb up its soot-covered staircase to peer out the charred windows, treating the building like a haunted house attraction at an amusement park.

Downstairs in the lobby, young men showed their contempt by urinating on the wall.

Three excited youths emerged from the second-story balcony and suddenly began throwing hundreds of bright pink voter registration cards into the air. The paper symbols of November’s parliamentary elections, which were widely viewed as rigged, fluttered down like bright confetti on the crowd. Protesters erupted in cheers.

Not far away, at Masr Square, anti-government protesters faced a counter-demonstration by pro-Mubarak supporters, each side occupying a different part of the plaza.

“They are just trying to provoke us. But it’s all right. Now that we’re free, all sides can express themselves freely,” said Ahmed Mobi, 50, an engineer who early in the day predicted that the president would resign soon. He inhaled deeply and said with a smile, “You can smell it in the air. It’s over.”

At the smaller pro-government demonstration, many complained that their opinions have been overshadowed. Yasser Gaber, 46, said his taxi business was dying because of the insecurity and curfew and noted that Mubarak this week announced changes to his government.

“A week ago, I was protesting with the others, but now we have a new Cabinet,” he said. “We already won.”

Out of the spotlight of Cairo, the demonstrations in Alexandria have been more sporadic and, at times, more violent. About 30 people were killed last week during clashes with police. In the city center, half a dozen burned-out cars were still lying in the road. Vigilante squads openly carried firearms.

Though police had not returned to duty Tuesday, undercover government security workers continued to monitor the streets and buildings. Many were camped out at hotels, turning away journalists, whom they accuse of misrepresenting the unrest.

One such plainclothes security officer was recognized by protesters along the beachfront boulevard. After seizing his government ID to confirm his identity, a couple of protesters tried to attack the man and one pulled out a hunting knife to stab him. But other protesters quickly encircled the officer to protect him and began chanting, “No! No! Peaceful! Peaceful!”

They dragged him away from the area to safety.

edmund.sanders@latimes.com