This is stunning yet not surprising.  The German newspaper Der Spiegel reports,

In exchange for the equivalent of a few euros, poor seasonal workers have taken part in street fighting in Cairo on the side of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. The thugs, who fight with iron bars, knives and clubs, have been recruited by privileged members of the regime, including party officials, security forces and rich business people with lucrative state contracts…

These individuals have everything to lose — and are now depending on those who have nothing left to lose. The privileged members of the regime don’t want to get their hands dirty. Instead, they recruit their helpers from the rural and semi-rural regions, particularly from two provinces north of Cairo: Bahtim and Qalyub. The poor, who make up the majority of the population here, are easy prey. Many are distrustful of the demonstrators’ motives and fear that the movement is secretly pursuing other aims.