CAIRO – Protests swelled in Cairo for a sixth day Wednesday as international pressure mounted on Egypt’s military rulers to stop a deadly crackdown on demonstrators who have reinvigorated the defiant spirit that overthrew Hosni Mubarak.

The crowds surging into Tahrir Square were a clear sign that military concessions announced Tuesday to speed up the transfer of power to democratic government did little to stem the rage against the ruling generals. Tear gas mixed with epithets as protesters and police clashed on streets littered with bullet casings, metal pipes and stones.

Additional Photos

A protester gestures to Egyptian riot police during clashes near Tahrir Square in Cairo on Wednesday. The United Nations condemned the violence. The Associated Press

The unrest intensified the drama ahead of parliamentary elections planned for Monday. The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces said voting would not be postponed. But the nation was layered in conflicting emotions over taking a step closer to democracy amid the bloodshed carried out by a military state criticized for spoiling a revolution that helped inspired the “Arab Spring.”

The United Nations condemned the violence and called for an investigation into the deaths of at least 32 people and the injuries of 2,000 since the latest clashes started in Cairo, Alexandria, Suez and other cities.

“I urge the Egyptian authorities to end the clearly excessive use of force against protesters in Tahrir Square and elsewhere in the country, including the apparent improper use of tear gas, rubber bullets and live ammunition,” said Navi Pillay, the U.N.’s high commissioner for human rights.

“We are seeing another outbreak of violence by the state against its increasingly and legitimately angry citizens.”

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