( CNN ) -- As the protests in Cairo enter a second week , CNN takes a look at some of the key questions surrounding them . What are the protests about ? The protesters are calling for democratization -- for a government that they feel represents them . They want President Hosni Mubarak , 82 , to step down after 30 years holding onto power , and an end to what they complain is a corrupt regime . Some have called for the government to face a trial . The anger is driven largely by economic frustrations . Egypt has seen a dramatic rise in the cost of living in recent years . While the government has offered food subsidies to help people handle rising prices , many are struggling . Egypt 's economy was stagnant for decades , but in the past 10 years started to grow , creating bigger differences between rich and poor , said Juan Cole , a Middle East historian at the University of Michigan . `` And I think some of the protest is over the ways in which the labor movements have gotten left behind and have n't shared in the economic growth , '' he said . Why now ? What sparked the protests ? A wave of protests in nearby Tunisia which overthrew the government helped inspire people in other nearby countries , facing similar frustrations , that it was time for an uprising . But the spark , in many ways , was one young man . Mohamed Bouazizi , a 26-year-old college graduate in Tunisia , was unable to find work , so he set up a fruit cart . Police confiscated it , saying he had no permit . According to the Federation of Human Rights Leagues , police also beat him . Bouazizi set himself on fire in protest , and later died . His self-immolation triggered the huge protests in Tunisia , which in turn helped inspire people in other nearby countries , including Algeria and Yemen , to take to the streets as well . There have also been protests in Jordan and Sudan . A Facebook page calls for similar demonstrations in Syria . A popular Facebook page that helped organize the Cairo protests beginning January 25 was dedicated to Bouazizi . Who are the protesters ? Many are young men . The majority of Egypt 's population is under 30 , and the vast majority of its unemployed are as well . While the protesters include people from different socio-economic levels and different parts of the country , there is a `` high proportion of the educated middle class , '' said Cole . There 's `` a feeling amongst that middle class that they 're not being given the opportunities in life that their degrees warrant -- what historians would call a 'blocked elite , ' '' Cole said . Have the protests been violent ? The protesters have generally been peaceful , chanting slogans and holding signs . Last week , police clashed violently with some demonstrators , leaving some dead and others wounded . Once the government sent in the military to take the place of police , the clashes came to a halt . The two sides have generally gotten along well . Some protesters have even posed for pictures with members of the military on their tanks . At times , the protests have even taken on the feeling of a music festival , with people wandering around , chatting , and celebrating . `` This is the start of the rest of my life , '' one jubilant young man who appeared to be in his 20s told CNN . `` As cheesy as it sounds , that 's exactly how I feel right now . '' How did chaos begin in some areas ? Police disappeared from the streets in parts of Cairo and some other areas , and some police stations were ransacked . Over the weekend , looters attacked stores and homes and torched some cars , and some prisoners escaped . Men gathered in neighborhoods to create vigilante groups protecting their property . In some places , people handed out knives , sticks , clubs , and baseball bats to men and teenage boys , encouraging them to fight any looters who came along . Some Egyptians said they worry the chaos could be part of Mubarak 's strategy , getting citizens angry at the protesters for creating havoc and excited for government security forces to come along and bring order . But the crime has also built more frustration against the government among many Egyptians . How many have died ? While it 's difficult to ascertain a solid death toll , Human Rights Watch staffers have confirmed more than 120 deaths in Cairo , Alexandria , and Suez , according to a researcher for the group in Cairo . How is the food supply ? Many families are fast running out of staples , and they are either unable or unwilling to shop for groceries . `` I have three children , and I only have enough to feed them for maybe two more days . After that I do not know what we will do , '' school administrator Gamalat Gadalla said . Grocers have closed up shop or are running out of supplies themselves . `` With the curfew , there are no restaurants , food or gas . Basic goods will soon be in shortage , '' Sandmonkey , an Egyptian blogger said via Twitter . Egyptian state-run Nile TV has set up a hotline for citizens to call in and report bread shortages . There has been no other indication of what the Egyptian government is doing to address the crisis . CNN 's Ben Wedeman , Nic Robertson , Ivan Watson , Frederik Pleitgen , and Salma Abdelaziz contributed to this report .
They seek representative government , economic independence . A young man in Paris describes waves of protests in several countries . Many protesters are young , unemployed , middle - class . A Human Rights Watch researcher says more than half have died .