Edu365.cat

For a week now, Egypt, the most influential country in the Arab world, has been in the throes of a popular, democratic revolt against the regime of Hosni Mubarak, who has ruled the country with an iron fist since 1981.

The revolt was inspired by the protests that broke out in another Arab country, Tunisia, last December. The Tunisian revolt managed to overthrow the authoritarian regime of Ben Ali, who was forced to flee abroad.

Large cities such as Alexandria and the capital, Cairo, have seen tens of thousands of Egyptians take part in street protests in the past week. Mubarak has responded by imposing a curfew, blocking internet access and increasing police repression, which is said to have resulted in at least one hundred deaths.

Although Mubarak has dismissed his entire government, he has not managed to quell the protests. What the protesters want is the resignation of Mubarak himself. In fact, the president's days could be numbered. Yesterday, the army, which has a strong influence in Egypt, said that it considered the protesters' demands to be legitimate and that it would not use weapons to suppress the revolt.

Meanwhile, a mass protest is planned to be held today in Cairo, with up to one million citizens expected to attend.