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People heading for Mubarak’s palace

11 February 2011 01:13 (UTC +04:00)

Angry protesters are marching towards the presidential palace in Cairo’s suburb of Heliopolis amid tight security measures by troops guarding the building, a Press TV correspondent reported.

In a televised speech broadcast by state television on Thursday afternoon, the 82-year-old president dampened widespread speculations that he would abandon power after 30 years in office, and instead transferred some powers to Vice President Omar Suleiman.

During the speech, hundreds of protesters took off their shoes and brandished them at the screen on which they had seen Mubarak’s speech, and shouted "Down with Mubarak, leave, leave!"

Others called for an immediate general strike and demanded of the army, which has deployed large numbers of troops around the protest: "Egyptian army, the choice is now, the regime or the people.â€

The move comes as remarks by Suleiman, who sought to tempter the rancor among Egyptians in his televised address on Thursday, also failed to prevent protesters from demanding the immediate departure of Mubarak.

"I am committed to carrying out whatever is necessary to ensure the peaceful transfer of power in accordance with the constitution," the vice president said.

Meanwhile, protesters pledged to launch their most spectacular protest yet in Cairo on Friday to demand Mubarak’s departure and his newly appointed deputy.

Several Egyptian cities, including the capital Cairo, Alexandria and Suez have been the scene of a massive revolution over the past 17 days as millions of people spilled out into the streets, calling for an immediate end to Mubarak’s three-decade US-backed rule.

According to the United Nations, at least 300 people have so far been killed and thousands more have been injured during nationwide protests in Egypt.