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Thousands of Egyptians gather during a demonstration at Tahrir Square in Cairo on Nov. 23, 2011, demanding an end to military rule, despite a promise by the country's interim leader to transfer power to an elected president by mid-2012.

It's the fifth day of violent protests between demonstrators and police in Egypt. Nearly 40 people have died and more than 1,000 have been injured. Demonstrators in Cairo's Tahrir Square want to end military rule and transfer power to a civilian government.

These are the largest demonstrations following February's ousting of Hosni Mubarak. In an effort to appease protestors, military leader Field Marshall Tantawi has offered to move the planned presidential election forward by at least six months to the first half of 2012.

Guest:

Thanassis Cambanis writes the Internationalist column for the Boston Globe and has been in Cairo since February, covering the revolution.