Update 6:01 p.m.:
Egyptians in Michigan are disappointed by the news that President Hosni Mubarak plans to remain in office until elections in September.
Ola Elsaid is a doctor who lives in Rochester, north of Detroit. She stayed home from work today to watch the developments in Cairo.
Elsaid says Mubarak’s announcement was like “a slap in the face,” and she’s worried about the reaction it could produce:
"So we’re afraid that everybody’s going to revolt even more. We see the reaction from our families. I was speaking to my cousin, he’s already dressed and going down to the street to join the demonstration. And we’re just worried about the bloodshed that might ensue in Egypt right now."
Elsaid says she wants to see the U.S. government support the push for democracy in Egypt.
Update 4:39 p.m.:
We're waiting to hear the reaction from local Arab Americans to Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak's decision not to resign. The New York Times filed this report from Cairo:
President Hosni Mubarak told the Egyptian people Thursday that he would delegate more authority to his vice president, Omar Suleiman, but that he would not resign his post, contradicting earlier reports that he would step aside and surprising hundreds of thousands of demonstrators gathered to hail his departure from the political scene. In a nationally televised address following a tumultuous day of political rumors and conflicting reports, Mr. Mubarak said he would “admit mistakes” and honor the sacrifices of young people killed in the three-week uprising, but that he would continue to “shoulder my responsibilities” until September, and did not give a firm indication that he would cede political power. Even as Mr. Mubarak spoke, angry chants were shouted from huge crowds in Cairo who had anticipated his resignation but were instead confronted with a plea from the president to support continued rule by him and his chosen aides. People waved their shoes in defiance, considered an insulting gesture in the Arab world.
NPR and BBC will provide continued coverage of the situation in Egypt throughout the evening on Michigan Radio.
