thelede.blogs.nytimes.com

In an incredible scene in Alexandria, the site of a more than two-hour pitched street battle ended with protesters and police shaking hands and sharing water bottles on the same street corner where minutes before they were exchanging hails of stones and tear-gas canisters were arcing through the sky. Thousands stood on the six-lane coastal road, the gentle green waves of the Mediterranean at their backs, as they got on their knees and prayed.

“The people want to topple the regime,” the crowd called in unison, using the familiar Tunisian chant.

“It’s clear that the very extensive police force in Egypt is no longer able to control these crowds. There are too many protests in too many places. So now the real danger is that Mubarak might call out the army,” said Peter Bouckaert, emergencies director of Human Rights Watch, who observed the street battle in Alexandria Friday.
“A lot of it is about the pent-up frustration of not being allowd to express their opinions,” said Mr. Bouckaert.
“What’s really amazing is even after all of this violence people were still trying to tell their fellow protesters to be peaceful.”

When the police stop trying to do their jobs, it is a clear sign the regime is unraveling.