Mubarak Behaved Exactly True To Form..

State-sponsored thuggery, anyone? Violent clashes as Egypt rebels. Excerpts:

Supporters of President Hosni Mubarak opened fire on protesters in Cairo’s Tahrir Square on Thursday, killing four people and wounding 13, witnesses and television said.

It was the biggest spike in violence since protesters angered by oppression and hardship launched an unprecedented challenge to Mubarak’s 30-year-rule 10 days ago. Many accused the government of backing the pro-Mubarak supporters. (CNN reporters and Senior US Officials (see below) are saying as much, so "many" is probably an understatement..)
..
Al Arabiya television quoted a doctor at the scene as saying four people had been killed and 13 were wounded in the overnight violence in Tahrir Square which began around 4 am (0200 GMT) on Thursday, and which was shown live on television.


..with many saying they would not call off their protests until the 82-year-old president quit, Mubarak backers, throwing petrol bombs, wielding sticks and charging on camels and horses, attacked protesters in Tahrir Square on Wednesday.

As terrifying and horrible as this was to experience, the protesters knew it was coming. After all, they're dealing with supporters of a brutal, authoritarian regime, familiar and comfortable with threats, intimidation, torture, and killing. How else would Mubarak's supporters react?
..
Anti-Mubarak demonstrators said the attackers were police in plainclothes. The Interior Ministry denied the accusation, and the government rejected international calls to end violence and begin the transfer of power.
..
In pointed comments, a senior US official said on Wednesday it was clear that “somebody loyal to Mubarak has unleashed these guys to try to intimidate the protesters”.


So the vandalism and looting at the museum might, MIGHT not have been anti-Mubarak protesters? This is again, true to form. Mubarak's supporters share much of their leader's mental inflexibility when dealing with dissent and opposition: Beat their asses back into submission by any means possible. This process is going to get ugly, but this is also a numbers game(not to be flip towards the protesters).

Mubarak had to massively rig the last election in order to win. Much more people oppose than support him. The more violent and outrageous Mubarak's supporters behave, the more horrified their neutral(as of yet) countrymen and women become. This violence will ultimately tip the populace against sustaining the regime, simply because the people won't voluntarily expose their neck to Mubarak's boot. When faced with two futures, ultimately the Egyptians will choose a chance(as no future is written in stone) at a free-er, more peaceful future, as opposed to the choice of returning to the repressive past, and now, the vividly violent present and future.

Hosni Mubarak will see to it they do.