Egypt: International Support Mounts, as Egyptians Begin March

This post is part of our special coverage of Egypt Protests 2011.

As protesters continue to mill into Tahrir Square, Cairo, for the beginning of the Million Egyptian March, this morning, the world is holding its breath, as it watches how the rising voices for the ousting of Egypt's strongman Hosni Mubarak will fare.

Protesters are planning to gather at Tahrir, and march all the way to Mubarak's presidential palace, in Heliopolis, to demand that he leaves power.

Meanwhile, support continues to overflow, from around the world, particularly, after the regime's attempts to muzzle the voices of people, and stop the world from hearing their cries, to ensure that such voices are heard.

As the first gatherings are sighted in the square, Egypt has virtually cut off all Internet access, and continued to bully international media on the ground, to block them from reporting. Going back to basics, and with the support of the international community, activists are working around the clock to ensure that such citizen voices continue to be heard, and that Egyptians have their say. Giants Google and Twitter have joined forces, and launched SpeaktoTweet, a service that allows Egyptians to call an international number and record a voice message that would then be tweeted from the Twitter account @speak2tweet.

And a team of translators and supporters have already rolled up their sleeves, to transcribe those messages and post them for the world to read.

Following is the buzz on Twitter, as Egypt readies itself, for the day “it has been waiting 30 years for.”

@iRevolt: The Million Man March has begun in Egypt; those interviewed on Al Jazeera began walking from Abu Za3bal #Jan25

@monaeltahawy: Huge smile as I read tweets from around the world eagerly anticipating start of #Egypt's Million Man March. #Jan25

@habibh: 47 Translators currently tuned in 2 translate the voice of Egypt!Going live soon cc @BaghdadBrian @KatieS @edbice @stevecrossan @speak2tweet

@habibh: English, French, Arabic, Spanish translators needed. Please go to http://bit.ly/fmRTiq and help us translate the voice of #Egypt

@Haifa_: I've been hearing these voice tweets from Egypt for two hours now, and I envy the people of Egypt on their spirits! #JAN25 #EGYPT

@BoingBoing: Egypt: Avaaz.org and Tor team up to fight the Internet blackout, you can help #Jan25 #egypt http://bit.ly/ggaRuO

@vkonnander: #Jan25 #Egypt hopes no one will come to harm in the masses heading towards Tahrir square today. Crowding is an imminent danger.

@bencnn: Egypt is being pushed to the brink. Economy is collapsing, infrastructure paralyzed, communications strangled. #Jan25 #Egypt

@Sandmonkey: In other funny news, NDP is trying 2 stage a counter protest by getting NDP youth from all over Egypt to come down (cont.) #Jan25

@Sandmonkey: (cont) We keep hearing gun battles but there isn't a single stray bullet anywhere or casualty of gun fire or a bullet hole. #jan25

@bencnn: Cellphones still working. Internet, SMS, blackberry, banks, schools, universities, railroads ALL DOWN by Mubarak regime decree #Egypt #Jan25

@iRevolt: Holding my breath. I'm so proud to be an Arab during this moment in history; Egyptians have raised our heads as a people. #Jan25

@NouraAlKaabi: How Journalists Are Using Social Media to Report on the Egyptian Demonstrations http://t.co/fOChGgz via @mashsocialmedia #Jan25 #Egypt

@LaraABCNews: A TV commentator just called today's million man march ‘the day Egypt has been waiting 30 years for’ #Jan25

@monaeltahawy: In 05 when I joined protests in Cairo, we wld be 200 max, most people wld watch us, scared to 2 join. Now look at masses joining in! #Jan25

@speak2tweet voice-to-tweet from inside #egypt #jan25: http://bit.ly/h4MN6h

@habibh: @SultanAlQassemi Help spread, We r translating all those Audio Tweets and looking for translators. Posting publicly http://bit.ly/fmRTiq

This post is part of our special coverage of Egypt Protests 2011.

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