Clampdown on demonstrators will end badly, says David Cameron

12 April 2012

David Cameron and Tony Blair led calls today for Egypt's president to allow an "orderly transition" of power as anti-government protests showed no sign of abating.

About 50,000 people breached a 3pm curfew and gathered in Cairo's Tahrir Square for the seventh day of action against President Hosni Mubarak.

A general strike involving one million people has been called for tomorrow, increasing pressure on the beleaguered president, 82, to stand down after 30 years in power. The number killed in clashes with security forces was put at 138.

About 50 men trying to loot archaeological treasures from the national museum have been arrested. Snipers were on the roof of the building, and dozens of troops patrolled the grounds amid fears that the chaos sweeping Cairo could engulf the nation's heritage.

The al-Jazeera TV station said six of its journalists had been detained in Egypt after authorities ordered the closure of its Cairo office.

Mr Cameron, who spoke yesterday to President Obama, said he had warned that clamping down on the pro-democracy protesters would "end badly" for Egypt.

But Mr Cameron stopped short of saying that Mr Mubarak should resign, insisting it was not for Britain to choose who should lead other countries.

He said: "I think in the conversations we have with President Mubarak and others it is sensible to say 'you do have a choice here. This repression - if you opt for that, that will end badly for Egypt, badly for the world. It is the wrong choice'."

Mr Blair, now a Middle East peace envoy, said Mr Mubarak needed to engage in a process of "managed change". The former prime minister said: "People want change but they don't want chaos. There's going to be change - there's no doubt about that. And there will be a move, I think, to free and fair elections."

However he warned against demonising President Mubarak, saying: "Hosni Mubarak is not Saddam Hussein" and said he had done "an immense amount" for the peace process.

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