Protesters on Cairo’s central Tahrir Square have called for a new push to oust Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, two weeks into their campaign.
Thousands of people still occupy the square but their lines have been gradually pushed back by the army, keen to get traffic moving again.
Talks have achieved little and there is no sign of Mr Mubarak resigning now.
As normal life resumes around them, the protesters risk sliding into irrelevance, a BBC correspondent says.
To try to escalate the situation on the ground, in order to exert more pressure, would almost certainly risk colliding with the army, the one national institution that is widely respected, Jim Muir reports from Cairo.
That is the dilemma now facing the protesters, made all the more acute by their fear that if they stand down now, they may face retribution from a vengeful establishment, our correspondent says.
On Monday, the government announced a pay rise of 15% for public sector workers – some six million employees. Economic losses caused by the protests are estimated at $310m a day.
Inspired by the success of a similar popular uprising in Tunisia, the protesters have sought to dislodge Mr Mubarak after 30 years in power, blaming him for the country’s economic problems and accusing his government of corruption and repression.
Nearly 300 people have been killed across Egypt in the unrest which began on 25 January, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW) researchers.
