Friday prayers come to a close in Tahrir Square

Protesters in Tahrir Square wave banners and shout slogans calling for Rosetta Stone Language Mubarak to stand down. The Middle East and the whole world waits to see what will happen in Tahrir Square. Will the crowds disperse as the army has urged? Will people march to key locations in Cairo such as the state television building or the president's palace? Crowds have already assembled in both places. A dramatic moment. History could be in the making as Friday prayers come to a close in Tahrir Square. The square is completely thronged with people as the time for the mass rallies approaches. Three Egyptian officers shed their weapons and uniforms and join hundreds of thousands of protesters demanding the immediate overthrow of President Hosni Mubarak, witnesses say. "They joined the crowd, smiling, and chanted slogans calling for the fall of the regime," student Omar Gamal tells AFP from Cairo's Tahrir Square, the focal point of the protests. "Thousands of enraged demonstrators are protesting in front of the television building," reports AFP photographer Marco Longari. In Tahrir Square the sheikh leading the prayers Language Learning Software faints towards the end of his sermon, but not before he called on the army to "act in a way that will be acceptable to God on judgement day." Egyptian demonstrators react with fury as the military throws its weight behind President Mubarak's attempt to cling on to power despite massive nationwide protests. Protesters outside Mubarak's palace erupt angrily and one grabs an army officer's microphone to denounce the move. "You have disappointed us, all our hopes rested in you," he shouts, as the crowd begin to chant slogans calling for Mubarak to be put on trial. The BBC's Persian television service is being jammed from within Iran following coverage of the mass protests against President Hosni Mubarak's rule in Egypt, the broadcaster says. BBC Persian TV has been working with the BBC's Arabic TV service to broadcast rolling news from Egypt, and the broadcaster believes it is this coverage which has prompted the jamming which began yesterday Friday prayers are under way in Tahrir Square. The army's statement says it is committed to "safeguarding the legitimate demands of the people and will work Hindi Learning Software to implement them ... for a peaceful transition of power and a free democratic society."