Additional reporting by Khaled Mamdouh, IOL Staff

CAIRO, September 28 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - Thousands of Egyptians demonstrated in Cairo and the Mediterranean port of Alexandria Saturday, September 28, 2002, in solidarity with Palestinians on the second anniversary of their Intifada against Israeli occupation.

Around 1,000 people turned out in Cairo's large central Tahrir (Liberation) Square in response to a call from the opposition Tagamu Party, shouting: "Zionists get out of our country," and: "With our blood, with our souls, we will sacrifice ourselves for you, Palestine," reported Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Some members of the crowd of leftists and Islamic groups, surrounded by a heavy police cordon, shouted: "Bush, son of a dog" and carried a banner saying that "to free Palestine, we must free Egypt."

Demonstrators also waved Palestinian flags, some carrying the picture of late Egyptian President Gamel Abdel Nasser, the Tagamu Party's inspiration. Others carried portraits of Marwan Barghuti, a senior Palestinian figure on trial in Israel for alleged terrorist acts whom they labeled the "lion of Palestine."

Meanwhile, around 2,000 people turned out at both the University of Ain-Shams and the Cairo University, police said. Demonstrators jeered Israel and the United States, burning flags of both countries.

Several dozen students also demonstrated at Cairo's Al-Azhar University, the preeminent seat of Islamic studies in the Muslim world.

In Alexandria, police said some 1,000 people gathered at the university there, while organizers put the figure at 5,000. Demonstrators shouted "Palestine is Arab", "Israelis are the enemies of God" and "Martyrs, martyrs, destroy Tel Aviv."

On Friday, September 27, around 3,000 people demonstrated after weekly Muslim prayers outside the Al-Azhar mosque, calling on Arab leaders to "save Palestine," before being peacefully dispersed by police.

Public demonstrations have been banned in Egypt since a state of emergency was declared in 1981, but they are tolerated on university campuses.

Meanwhile, tight security has been imposed around the U.S. and British Embassies in Garden City, Cairo. Police cars, large numbers of Central Security and special Forces were deployed around the two buildings, apparently to prevent any attempts come near them and to stop any hostile actions.

Anti-U.S. sentiments have been on the rise against the U.S. and Britain following the U.S.-led war on Afghanistan, even though there was a sense of sympathy with the Americans immediately after the 9/11 attacks.

However, the U.S. double standard policies, threatening to attack Iraq for allegedly failing to comply with UN resolutions, while protecting Israel, which defies the whole international community and disrespects any UN resolution calling on it to withdraw from the occupied Palestinian territories, or even respect the international law providing security and safety for people under occupation.

Egyptian President, Hosni Mubarak, has repeatedly warned the U.S. administration that it was fueling the anti-U.S. sentiments with its pro-Israel policies, calling upon them to solve the Palestinian cause.