Originally posted by the Voice of America. Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America, a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in the public domain. Internet Shut Down as Egypt Braces for Huge Protests VOA News January 28, 2011 An anti-government protester reacts as his relative is injured during clashes with riot police in the port city in Suez, about 134 km (83 miles) east of Cairo, 27 Jan 2011 Photo: Reuters An anti-government protester reacts as his relative is injured during clashes with riot police in the port city in Suez, about 134 km (83 miles) east of Cairo, 27 Jan 2011 Egyptian security forces are on high alert across the country as thousands of opposition supporters prepare for major protests after Friday prayers calling for an end to President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule. Internet service, a key tool for activists, was shut down across the country shortly after midnight local time. Cell phone text messaging and data plans were also disabled. Egypt's largest opposition group, the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, says at least five senior leaders, and five former members of parliament, were arrested in raids early Friday. The group has not been behind rallies by young people angry at poor living standards and authoritarian rule, but says it will join Friday's demonstrations. Mohamed ElBaradei, the Nobel peace laureate and former head of the U.N. nuclear agency who has become a leading Egyptian reformer, returned to Cairo in an attempt to galvanize the protests. Five people have been killed in the unrest and the government says 800 people have been detained since Tuesday. Human rights groups say there have been more than 2,000 arrests. The 82-year-old Egyptian president has not been seen or heard from since the protests began Tuesday with tens of thousands marching in Cairo and other cities. In Washington, U.S. President Barack Obama said political reforms were "absolutely critical" to Egypt's "long-term well-being," boosting pressure on Mr. Mubarak to implement changes while acknowledging he is a critical U.S. ally. In his first comments on the unrest in Egypt, Mr. Obama urged the government and the protesters to refrain from violence. The U.S. president, in an interview broadcast live on the YouTube website, said Mr. Mubarak has been "very helpful on a range of tough issues" but that his government must move forward on "political and economic reform." Violence escalated in areas outside the Egyptian capital on Thursday. In the flashpoint city of Suez, east of the Egyptian capital, witnesses said rioters firebombed the main fire station and firefighters jumped out of windows to escape the flames. Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at the protesters. In the northern Sinai area of Sheik Zuweid, several hundred bedouins and police exchanged gunfire, killing a 17-year-old man. Hundreds of protesters clashed with police in the city of Ismailia. The April 6th Youth movement and other groups responsible for organizing the protests using social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter, say they speak for young Egyptians frustrated with the kind of poverty and oppression that triggered Tunisia's unrest, toppling that country's president earlier this month. Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.  NEW: Follow our Middle East reports on [1]Twitter and discuss them on our [2]Facebook page. References 1. http://twitter.com/VOAMidEast 2. http://www.facebook.com/pages/VOAMiddleEastVoices/124360240958667? v=wall .