CAIRO PROTESTS

Cairo, Egypt (CNN) -- Thousands of protesters spilled into the streets of Egypt on Tuesday, an unprecedented display of anti-government rage inspired in part by the tumult in the nearby North African nation of Tunisia.

Three people died in the clashes between protesters and police, according to Egypt's official MENA news agency. Two demonstrators died in the eastern city of Suez, and one policeman was killed in Cairo, it said. MENA reported that at least 49 people have been injured.


Social media have been all-important in mobilizing and organizing protests. But bloggers and others in Egypt reported problems with electronic communication later in the day. Activists can't access their cell phones or text messages, and opposition websites can't be accessed. Twitter was blocked Tuesday in Egypt at about 11 a.m. ET, the company said.