Inside The National videographer Ashraf Helmi is in Tahrir Square in Cairo and sending reports to the National.
Follow him at Twitter at TheNationalUAE via #Ashraf.
Or return to this article for updates of comments, audio files and photos.
Comments live from Cairo
17:12 My estimates 200k different groups setting up different zones to protest: MB kifaya azhar etc
17:13 Taxi was set alight on route to tahrir, citizens put it out with sand from ground
17:16 300 pro mubarak demonstrators outside foreign ministry hemmed in by army for protection
17:21 Carnival atmosphere but some fighting in places a few pro mubarak supporters here?
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17:27 People making a big human Irhal (go) sign on the floor so that helicopter in the sky will see it :)
17:36 Prayer is over some people starting to leave but huge numbers remain
17:36 Azhar supporters here in big numbers
Everyone is contained in Tahrir, the army have succeeded in preventing their march to the palace
18:40 no sign of any sexual harassment here despite the crush. there are higher concerns
18:42 word going round trucks of armed men with guns stopped trying to get into the square
18:43 There are chants of mubarak today is your last day, but we are all very disconnected in the square
18:52 Citizens taking it upon themselves to grab a rubbish bag and clean the streets
19:00 One protester: fine. If he doesn't go today he goes tomorrow
19:19 One voxpopper - we want mubarak, he gives us safety, but we don't want the regime
Ashraf's phone battery has run out and is unable to file any more comments at present. If you have photos of the protest send them to yourpics@thenational.ae.
Comments and observations can be left at www.facebook.com/thenational.ae or twitter @TheNationalUAE.
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The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Seattle from Dh5,555 return, including taxes. Portland is a 260 km drive from Seattle and Emirates offers codeshare flights to Portland with its partner Alaska Airlines.
The car
Hertz (www.hertz.ae) offers compact car rental from about $300 per week, including taxes. Emirates Skywards members can earn points on their car hire through Hertz.
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1970
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March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
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December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
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Thursday:
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