Protests To Resume At Egyptian Consulate
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The crisis in Egypt is hitting home in Chicago.
In just a few hours, pro-democracy demonstrators will picket the Egyptian Consulate, 500 N. Michigan Ave. Also, at 2 p.m., hundreds of Egyptian-Americans and human rights activists will rally and hold a news conference outside the consulate to support the efforts of pro-democracy activists.
Protests were also held outside the consulate on Saturday. The protesters were calling for Egypt President Hosni Mubarak to step down amid riots in the country. Chicago police estimated that about 600 people were taking part in the rally.
Demonstrators chanted "Hey Mubarak you will see, all Egyptians will be free." They held signs that said "Victory to the Egyptian people" and "Freedom and Justice for all Egyptians."
Thousands in Egypt have been protesting for the past week in a rejection of President Hosni Mubarak.
The uprising in Egypt followed one in Tunisia that led to the ouster of that country's dictator. Now protesters in Egypt want Mubarak to be the next dictator to be brought down by the power of the general public.
Despite the fact that the U.S. has supported the Mubarak regime for decades with tens of billions of dollars in aid, the protesters said it's time for Washington to support ordinary Egyptians.
