Cairo: Egyptian protesters gave a call for a million people to pour onto the streets of Cairo on Tuesday to put up a massive show of strength to force the beleaguered President Hosni Mubarak to leave the country by Friday.
Upping the ante to topple Mubarak, a coalition of opposition parties, including the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood also served an ultimatum telling the powerful army to choose between "Egypt or Mubarak", indicating that a decisive stage may be near as the death toll in the last six days of violence crossed 150.
Anti-Mubarak sentiments reached a feverish pitch, as thousands of protesters converged on Tahrir or Liberation Square -- the hub of the protests in the heart of Cairo to make the call for a "million man march" on Tuesday.
They waved placards that the time had come for the Army to choose between "Egypt or Mubarak" as they defied assembled tanks and armoured carriers backing heavily armed contingents of Army, police and secret police.
The call by so called 'April 6 Shabab Movement' came as an indefinite countrywide strike gripped the nation paralysing all essential services, including government offices, banks and trading centres.
As the oust Mubarak campaign gained strength, American and other world leaders ramped up pressure calling for an-orderly transition in the violence rocked country.
The 'Shabab' movement which has been formed of all opposition groups and the leaders declared that the march would start from Tahrir or Liberation Square and was aimed at forcing Mubarak to step down by Friday.
The opposition also enforced a countrywide general strike on Monday with most of major Egyptian cities, including the capital Cairo, Alexandaria observing a total shutdown.
As the confrontation between the protesters and the embattled President entered what appeared to be a decisive stage, thousands of foreigners began a beeline to leave the country, with nations scrambling to send planes to fly their citizens out of Cairo's international airport, where complete
choas existed.
On his part, 82-year-old defiant Mubarak told his new Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq to bring in immediate reform to stem the tide. His instructions to Shafiq were read out on state tv but had no discernible effect on protesters who vowed to continue their demonstrations until Mubarak steps down.
Terming the reforms as "too little and too late," the protesters continued their sit-in at the Tahrir Square saying they would not budge till Mubarak resigns, with indications that Egyptian strongman's fate now hangs on the military.
As the focus shifted on the influential army for a smooth transition of power, protesters enforced a countrywide general strike.
Pro-democracy activist and Nobel Laureate Mohammad ElBaradei, who defied house arrest to join the protesters at the Tahrir Square last night, asked the embattled president to "step down today itself."
"It is loud and clear from everybody in Egypt that Mubarak has to leave today," ElBaradei said in an interview aired on CNN.
"He needs to leave today... to be followed by a smooth transition (to) a national unity government to be followed by all the measures set in place for a free and fair election."
Army positioned tanks around the square and were checking the identity papers, but were letting protesters in.
Egyptian judges and scholars from world's prestigious Islamic seminary Al-Azhar joined mass protests, calling for an end to Mubarak's 30-year rule.
France 24 Television channel quoted a senior US official as saying that President Barack Obama's national security aides believe "Mubarak's time had passed".
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Sunday called for an "orderly transition" to democracy in Egypt, saying the legitimate grievances of the people will have to be addressed.
In a desperate move to cling to power, Mubarak on Sunday visited the military headquarters and met the newly appointed Vice President Omar Suleiman and top commanders after which more troops and armoured vehicles moved on to the streets.
Qatar-based Al-Jazeera channel put the death toll at 150 and said 4,000 people had been injured since protests began, while some other reports said over 100 had been killed.
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