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With the streets of Cairo turning bloody, Egypt's new vice president appealed to the protesters on Wednesday to end their nine-day demonstration and go home to let a political dialogue for the future begin.
Central Cairo was a scene of chaos as violent clashes broke out between pro and anti-government demonstrators, and over 400 persons were injured.
Omar Suleiman, former intelligence chief and now the vice president, called on protesters to respect the curfew and return to their homes, the state media reported.
"Dialogue with the political (opposition) forces requires that the demonstrations end and the Egyptian streets return to normal," he said.
Suleiman asked all Egyptians "to return to their homes and abide by the curfew to boost the authorities' efforts in restoring calm and stability and limit the damage and losses the demonstrations had caused Egypt since they erupted last week."
The Egyptian army had earlier issued a similar statement, with a military spokesman asking the protesters to disperse so that life in the most populous Arab nation could get back to normal.
The protesters have been unrelenting for over a week now, and thousands of them have defied night curfews to camp at Tahrir Square to demand President Hosni Mubarak's ouster.
A defiant President had appeared on state television on Tuesday. Mubarak said he would neither seek another term in September nor quit immediately.
The announcement agitated the protesters who said they would accept nothing but his immediate departure.