Breaking: Major Shouman tells Reuters “The armed forces’ solidarity movement with the people has begun”

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This is a PHOTO UPDATE; 12:20 pm in Cairo:

Click image to go to Al Jazeera Live Blog on Egypt

An Egyptian anti-government demonstrator holds a sign that reads in Arabic and English 'Hitler commited suicide, you can do it' at Cairo's Tahrir square on February 10, 2011 on the 17th day of consecutive protests calling for the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak. (PATRICK BAZ/AFP/Getty Images)

Last week it was “Departure Friday.” The protesters have dubbed today’s demonstrations “Farewell Friday.” At around 2 am my time (10 am in Cairo), an Al Jazeera English reporter observed that Liberation Square has become unusually full already for morning time. She said that it’s usually around or after prayers that the crowds got to these numbers before. Egyptian military leaders have met and are supposed to be issuing a statement (“Communique 2”), but one of the Al Jazeera commentators I was just listening to a short while ago characterized this development as a sham. Here is some of the latest from the AJ Live Blog:

9:51am An army officer joining protests in Cairo’s Tahrir Square says 15 other middle-ranking officers have also gone over to the demonstrators.

“The armed forces’ solidarity movement with the people has begun,” Major Ahmed Ali Shouman tells Reuters.

I’m trying to get more insight on what exactly that means. I’m not hearing anything about it on the AJE feed.

Here’s the Reuters article.

UPDATES

(in reverse chronological order, so latest is first)

4 am/noon Cairo: Midday prayers are under way. AJE also saying protesters are calling this “the Final Friday.” We’ll see about that. I have to say that from what I can make out, this is panning out according to prediction of the AJE commentator who said that the military meeting and issuing a statement would be a sham (his exact words were that it sounded like a “fake” to him). Dakinikat’s morning thread will be up at the top of the next hour. If there’s anything major that happens between now and then, I’ll add an update here… otherwise check the comments!

3:47 CST/11:47 Cairo: Military statement (Communique 2) is being read. Emergency law will end, but only once the current circumstances end. Free and fair elections, but no real specifics. Peaceful transition of power, restoring “normal life” and going back to work, etc. “Honest men who say no to corruption will not be prosecuted.” This is no military coup. AJE anchor characterized it as a “placatory statement” that amounts to “sitting on the fence.” Another AJE journalist is calling it the first signs of the army positioning itself, but it’s a “timid” positioning.

3:40 CST/11:40 am Cairo: Friday prayers are in about 20 minutes. Shouman said the other officers will address the protesters after midday prayers, and we’re also waiting on that statement from the military, so in the meantime, I’m going to quote a bit from that Reuters article above:

“The armed forces’ solidarity movement with the people has begun,” Major Ahmed Ali Shouman told Reuters by telephone just after dawn prayers.

On Thursday evening Shouman told crowds in Tahrir that he had handed in his weapon and joined their protests demanding an immediate end to President Hosni Mubarak’s 30-year rule.

“Some 15 officers … have joined the people’s revolution,” he said, listing their ranks ranging from captain to lieutenant colonel. “Our goals and the people’s are one.”

More:

Another army major walked up to Shouman while he was talking with a Reuters reporter in Tahrir on Thursday and introduced himself, saying: “I have also joined the cause.”

“What drove these officers and I to join the people’s revolution is the pledge of allegiance we all took upon joining the armed forces — to protect the nation,” Shouman said when asked whether officers were risking court-martial.

Protesters carried Shouman on their shoulders, chanting “The people and army are united”, after he spoke to them on stage.

This is a semi-live blog/developing thread. For more, see the Al Jazeera English LIVE feed (or AJE Live on youtube):

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