Chaos and calm, fury and rejoicing mark Egypt protests

CAIRO (Reuters) - Crowds sang the national anthem and shouted "Long live Egypt" in Cairo Friday, ignoring a night curfew and even embracing the police they were fighting earlier in the day.

After news of the curfew was passed from protester to protester, just minutes before it came into force, some stopped throwing stones at state security officers and asked them to join them in protests through the night.

Protesters and police embraced, many nodded in agreement or said they would join demonstrators. One police officer raised his fingers in a "V for a victory" sign. Others shouted words of encouragement and apologies at each other.

"You must join us," one demonstrator shouted at a security officer. "We need you and we are in this together, my brother."

The officer nodded his head, saying: "Of course I will."

President Hosni Mubarak had ordered troops to back up police as they struggled to control crowds, following a day of unrest never before seen during his 30 year-rule.

Near the central Tahrir Square, several thousand people in the early evening thronged around a military vehicle. They climbed on it, shook hands with the soldiers and chanted: "The army and the people are united!" and "The revolution has come!"

They said they had looted food from the headquarters of the ruling National Democratic Party, which had been set on fire. One held a digital television he said he had taken from the office of the party's secretary-general Safwat el-Sherif.

But, shortly after midnight the crowds' celebrations were cut short when the army took control of the square with more than 20 military vehicles, forcing the protesters to flee into side streets.

At about the same time as the army regained control of the square Mubarak had been on state television, telling Egyptians that dialogue, not violence was needed to end the problems that led to the unrest. He went on to sack the cabinet, but gave no hint that he would step aside.

Marzouq, a protester, in his 20s, said: "What happened was a betrayal of the people, it is like capital punishment of the people. We were celebrating the army's presence when they got to Tahrir, we let them through to take over from the dirty riot police and then we got fired at again."

Earlier, in another part of downtown Cairo, thousands had cheered at news of the deployment of the army, which is seen as neutral, unlike the police who are regularly deployed to stifle dissent.

"We can die but Egypt must live!" came a cry from the crowd of tens of thousands of people who turned out for a "Day of Wrath" to try to end Mubarak's 30 years in power.

Young men hurled stones at police, flipped gas canisters over and set them on fire, but many others tried to calm things down, putting out a burning tire with fire extinguishers in one place and sweeping broken glass from the street in another.

Security forces used batons, tear gas, water cannons and rubber bullets against protesters of all ages. Medical sources said at least five protesters died in Cairo Friday and that 13 had died in Suez. In Cairo 1,030 had been wounded.

"They know that we are too powerful and they know the entire country is on the brink of explosion," Zeinab, aged 20, said of the police.

"They are cowards who are afraid our voices will be heard."

People ran for cover in side streets, some to catch their

"I hope this doesn't go to waste," said one of four police officers watching the chaos unfold on a small television screen.

Plain clothes police blocked some roads, sitting on benches with sticks and knives and sipping tea. As soon as more than two young people passed, they ran toward them, shouting "Where are you going? Get your ass back home."

(Editing by Matthew Jones)