Protesters continue in Tahrir Square

During the night of 1–2 February, Mubarak supporters and anti-Mubarak protesters clashed in Alexandria where shots were reportedly fired in the air. In Cairo, many protesters from the previous day had remained in Tahrir Square overnight.

In the morning, internet access had been partially restored and the night-time curfew was eased, running from 5:00 pm to 7:00 am instead of 3:00 pm to 8:00 am. Curfew hours were shortened to 5:00 pm to 7:00 am the next day. By midday, the army was asking protesters to go home in order to stabilise the situation. State-television then announced: "You have to evacuate Tahrir Square immediately. We've got confirmed information that violent groups are heading toward Tahrir Square carrying firebombs and seeking to burn the Square."

The NDP sent many people to show support to Hosni Mubarak. Provocateurs sent by the Egyptian government, came riding on horses and camels armed with swords, whips, clubs, stones, rocks, and pocket knives, attacked anti-government protesters in central Cairo, including Tahrir Square.

Security officials were witnessed bribing ordinary citizens into attacking protesters. Some of the Pro-Mubarak supporters were reportedly off-duty and undercover police. Al Jazeera's live reporting showed that Mubarak supporters were carrying police IDs amidst clashes and that gunfire was heard in Tahrir Square.

The 2011 Egyptian protests are an ongoing series of street demonstrations, marches, rallies, acts of civil disobedience, riots, and violent clashes that began in Egypt on 25 January 2011, a day selected by 6 April Youth Movement, We Are All Khaled Said Movement, National Association for Change, 25 January Movement, and Kefaya organisers to coincide with the National Police Day holiday.

The protests began with tens of thousands marching in Cairo and a string of other cities in Egypt.While localised protests had been common in previous years, the 2011 protests have been the largest demonstrations seen in Egypt since the 1977 Bread Riots and unprecedented in scope, drawing participants from a variety of socio-economic backgrounds and faiths.