A Hard Decision

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Anderson Cooper Leaves Egypt

February 06, 2011

After being attacked in Egypt last week, journalist Anderson Cooper has decided to leave the embattled country.

Cooper tweeted on Saturday, writing: "It is with a heavy heart that I have decided to leave #Egypt. CNN continues to have many teams in place. It was a hard decision to leave."

On Wednesday, the "Anderson Cooper 360" anchor reported that "the crowd set upon us" and that he and his crew were "kicked and punched pretty well … before the mob forced us to seek safety." He added that the crowd was "very violent," with "people looking for a fight." Cooper later tweeted that day: "Got roughed up by thugs in pro-mubarak crowd..punched and kicked repeatedly. Had to escape. Safe now." The journalist was not seriously injured.

The new wave of violence comes in the wake of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak calling for calm and announcing that he would not run for re-election in the September vote. Pro-Mubarak demonstrators are now facing off against anti-government protesters, with the army reportedly failing to step in to stop the violence.