Today in Egypt, Day 17: Mubarak Has So Many Palaces!

• Over the course of the demonstrations, the Egyptian military detained “hundreds and possibly thousands” of “government opponents”: some of them were tortured, receiving “extensive beatings and other abuses.”

• Rich people: they’re all alike, all around the world! “Well-heeled Egyptians, who drive the country’s economy, are concerned about ongoing unrest.”

• Best Facebook update ever? We are all Khaled Said: “Thousands of lawyers have taken their protest to Abdeen Presidential Palace. Thousands more have joined them and the palace is now surrounded. The army has now withdrew from in front of the palace. The president is NOT in this palace unfortunately. He is in another palace (he has so many palaces).”

• A very dramatic roundup of images from the last three weeks.

• Members of the government are making unfortunate threats about martial law. That has been no deterrent today, as immense and exceedingly well-executed demonstrations continue apace. Nearly every workers’ organization — from doctors’ groups to the lawyers’ outfit to the artists syndicate — is demonstrating today. Yesterday, tens of thousands of workers were on strike.

• Some preliminary talks with the government, talks which were not even recognized by all opposition groups, ended without any progress. The government literally, actually, somehow believes that it will remain in power, and that they can “manage” the populace. This will turn out to be untrue.

• Demands by some protesting organizations include: the dissolution of Parliament and the preparations for free elections — for starters.

• Are you afraid of the Muslim Brotherhood’s plan to install a MUSLIM CALIPHATE that STRETCHES FROM INDONESIA TO PARIS, or whatever Glenn Beck is saying now? Well, I wouldn’t worry too much: “The Brotherhood has already decided not to field a candidate for president in any forthcoming elections.”