Dubai: Egyptians on Tuesday staged one of their biggest protests till date demanding President Hosni Mubarak step down immediately, their anger undiminished by the announcement of a plan to transfer power.
Vice-President Omar Sulaiman promised there will be no reprisals against the protesters, but the government has refused to budge on their main demands.
Egypt is witnessing a third week of protests with rallies held in other cities apart from Cairo.
Tens of thousands of Egyptians on Tuesday poured into Tahrir Square to join those already camped there, filling it completely for the third time since the demonstrations began on January 25. Many were participating in the protests for the first time.
Sulaiman said Mubarak ordered a probe into last week's clashes between the protesters and government supporters as well as mass detentions of human rights activists and journalists.
The committee will refer its findings to the attorney-general, he added.
The committee considering constitutional and legislative changes will be led by the head of Egypt's highest appellate court and comprise six senior judges and four constitutional experts. It will make its recommendations to Sulaiman by the end of this month.
Roadmap
In comments broadcast on state television, Sulaiman said: "A clear roadmap has been put in place with a set timetable to realise the peaceful and organised transfer of power."
But people on Tahrir Square remained suspicious of Mubarak's motives.
Meanwhile, the US embassy in Cairo denied that its staff were behind the wheel of what appeared to be an official vehicle that mowed down dozens of protesters in a high-speed hit-and-run incident captured on video.
"We have seen a video that alleges a US diplomatic vehicle was involved in a hit-and-run incident that injured dozens in Cairo. We are certain that no embassy employees or diplomats were involved in this incident," it said.
"On January 28, however, a number of our US embassy vehicles were stolen. Since these vehicles were stolen, we have heard reports of their use in violent and criminal acts. If true, we deplore these acts and the perpetrators."
The video, widely circulated on YouTube, shows what appears to be a speeding white embassy van.
