Tell-It-Like-It-Is: Egypt protesters unmoved by talks

Hundreds of people are resisting attempts by the army to restore order to Tahrir Square

Talks between the Egyptian government and opposition groups on tackling the country's political crisis have failed to end protests in central Cairo.

Crowds of protesters, who have occupied the city's Tahrir Square for two weeks, say they will only leave when President Hosni Mubarak stands down.
The government offered a series of concessions at Sunday's talks, but the opposition said they were not enough.
US President Obama has said Egypt will not "go back to what it was".
Opposition groups met members of the government on Sunday to discuss how to resolve the stand-off which has paralysed the country and left some 300 people dead.
Vice-President Omar Suleiman hosted the talks. Six groups were represented, including a coalition of youth organisations, a group of "wise men" and the banned Muslim Brotherhood in its first ever meeting with the government.

Analysis

Magdi Abdelhadi BBC News, Cairo

There are three parallel narratives in Egypt today: that of the protesters in Tahrir Square, that of the opposition talking to the government, whilst the rest of Egypt may be a different story altogether.
The protesters are in no mood to compromise and insist that President Mubarak step down immediately, and that parliament, which they view as the product of fraudulent election, is dissolved.
They have gained in confidence and feel, justifiably, that the street protest has so far paid off. They also say that the opposition leaders who are talking to the government are only representing themselves, not the demonstrators.
This is bound to complicate the task of the politicians who met Vice President Omar Suleiman. They came out of the meeting saying they are yet to be convinced that the regime is sincere in carrying out genuine political reforms.
As to the rest of the country, its virtually impossible to know exactly where the majority stand. Arguably, those who are politically aware are cautiously optimistic. They say Egypt has changed, and will never be the same again.
Yet no-one is sure about the shape of the final outcome. For the average Egyptian, it is safe to assume that he or she simply wants to get on with earning a living.

Egyptian state TV said the participants had agreed to form a joint committee of judicial and political figures tasked with suggesting constitutional amendments.

But opposition leaders said they were sceptical of the government's motives and that the measures did not go far enough.
The Muslim Brotherhood said it would only take part in future talks if the government made progress on meeting its demands that Mr Mubarak resign, parliament be resolved, emergency laws lifted and all political prisoners released.
Senior Brotherhood figure Essam el-Erian told reporters the authorities had responded to some of the demands but only in "a superficial way."
'Grapple with reality' Leading opposition figure Mohamed ElBaradei - who was not at the talks but sent a representative to meet Vice-President Suleiman separately - described the process as "opaque".
He said he was proposing a one-year transitional period where Egypt would be run by a three-member presidential council as it prepared for elections.
President Mubarak has so far refused to resign, saying that to do so would cause chaos. He has instead said he will not stand for re-election in September.
But US President Barack Obama has insisted that an "orderly transition" must begin immediately.
In an interview with Fox news on Sunday, he said: "The Egyptian people want freedom, they want free and fair elections, they want a representative government, and so what we've said is, you have to start a transition now."

Egypt unrest: Protests map

He added that the US could not dictate to Mr Mubarak what he should do, but that it could advise him "the time is now for you to start making a change in that country".

Later on Sunday, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton appeared to caution Egypt against a rush to replace its leader of 30 years.
"As I understand the constitution, if the president were to resign, he would be succeeded by the speaker of the house, and presidential elections would have to be held in 60 days," she said.
"Now the Egyptians are going to have to grapple with the reality of what they must do."
Mrs Clinton also praised Mr Mubarak for the compromises he had already put in place, including his pledge that neither he nor his son, Gamal, would run for office in the next elections.

Muslim Brotherhood

Egypt's oldest and largest Islamist organisation
Founded by Hassan al-Banna in 1928
Has influenced Islamist movements worldwide
Mixes political activism with charity work
Banned from open political activity
Rejects use of violence and supports democratic principles
Wants to create a state governed by Islamic law
Slogan: "Islam is the Solution"

Profile: Muslim Brotherhood

It was widely believed that Gamal Mubarak was being groomed to take over the leadership from his father.

"They have to be viewed as an important set of steps that he has taken," the AFP news agency quoted Mrs Clinton as saying.
Tens of thousands again joined demonstrations in Cairo and other cities on Sunday, although the authorities have been attempting to restore a sense of normality to the capital.
The government is seeking to revive an economy said to be losing at least $310m (£192m) a day.
Many shops, factories and the stock exchange have been closed, and basic goods have been running short.
On Sunday banks in Cairo opened for the first time in a week, drawing long queues as people waited to withdraw money.
Correspondents say many Egyptians have been wondering how quickly daily life will return to normal regardless of the outcome of the struggle for power.