There is an increased police presence on the streets of Egypt as demonstrators call for a "million-man march" to mark one week since the anti-government protests began.
Protesters continue to defy curfews and express their anger at president Hosni Mubarak, with at least 125 people killed in the violence so far.
As the chaos continues to unfold, the Federal Government has announced it will send a Qantas plane to evacuate Australians stranded in Egypt on Wednesday.
Local police had all but vanished from duty last week after clashes with thousands of demonstrators who effectively overpowered them.
Army tanks and soldiers have remained in position across Cairo and other major cities but they have done nothing to enforce the nightly curfew or shut the protests down, raising questions as to which side the military is on.
Demonstrators say the military must choose between the people and the president.
To maintain their momentum, protesters have called on all Egyptians to join a national strike today and a political march tomorrow to force the president from power.
The protesters say they will not stop until Mr Mubarak goes, but security is becoming more of an issue as the chaos continues.
Thousands of prisoners are reported to have staged mass jailbreaks over the weekend, which have left many Egyptians anxious.
"Right now nobody wants the president. Right now the government that serves him is not on the streets, we are out on the streets protecting ourselves," one Cairo resident said.
"The people who've escaped from jail will go after anyone who has money in their pocket. You have no idea what they'll do."
People are nervous to leave their homes and there have been gun battles between looters and vigilantes.
There is also unrest in the coastal city of Alexandria, where Amr Ramadan runs a computer software business.
"The great thing [is] the young people have taken security to be a part of their daily routine now," he said.
"In our block, for example, in the range of 200 or 300 metres, there is right now more than a 100 young people inspecting any car that comes, making sure the security of the neighbourhood is all right and this is the case in all neighbourhoods in Alexandria."
Cold night in Cairo
Overnight, around 1,000 die-hard activists defied a curfew to spend a cold night in the central Tahrir Square.
Sana Soueif is one who maintained the vigil. She says the demonstrations will not stop until Mr Mubarak steps down.
"Some of us are running around just to stay warm, but it is quite relaxed," she said.
"We're planning to continue. We know in the morning there'll be more people definitely. We're not going to leave unless Mubarak leaves."
Earlier, Egyptian state TV read out a letter Mr Mubarak has sent to his newly appointed prime minister.
It ordered the new cabinet to tackle corruption and deploy economic policies that give the highest concern to people's suffering and create new jobs.
The secretary of the governing National Democratic Party, Maged el Sherbini, says the government needs to be allowed to do its job.
"I believe we should give the new government, which will be sworn into office, a chance in order to see what will be fulfilled out of the promise to which president Mubarak attached great importance," he said.
"We need calm so work can resume. We need calm so Egypt can return to what it used to be."
Dialogue
The president's letter also spoke of the need for political reform and dialogue with other political parties.
That may involve the UN's former chief nuclear weapons inspector, Mohamed ElBaradei, who addressed the protesters in Tahrir Square.
"We have only one demand: that the regime in Egypt should go and after that a new beginning will start for Egypt and everybody in Egypt should live in freedom," he said.
But some demonstrators insist Mr ElBaradei is not their leader.
He has the endorsement of a group of opposition parties to form a national unity government and make contact with the military.
Egypt's largest opposition group, the Muslim Brotherhood, is happy to work with Mr ElBaradei.
"We are now discussing the matter with our colleagues in political sections and with the people themselves to join a committee," said Dr Essam el Erian, the leading figure in the Brotherhood.
"We have no objection about Mr Baradei to be in the committee, but such a committee must take the decision about who will negotiate personal or together with the authorities and mainly with the army."
The Muslim Brotherhood is officially banned in Egypt but is tolerated and Mr el Erian says it must play a role in the country's political future.
"Not only the United States, all the international community must respect the choice of the Egyptian people. It is too late now to interfere in the domestic affairs or to change the choice of Egyptians," he said.
Source: ABC News
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