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Mass protests as Egyptians mark "Victory Day"

Arab World Materials 18 February 2011 21:42 (UTC +04:00)

Mass demonstrations were held across Egypt on Friday, which was celebrated as "Victory Day," one week after president Hosny Mubarak resigned, DPA reported.

More than 1 million people gathered in central Cairo's Tahrir Square, the focal point of the 18-day popular uprising.

Elsewhere in Cairo, people waved flags, beat drums and honked their horns while driving through the streets of the capital.

The crowd in Tahrir, or Liberation, Square also used the occasion to call on the military to speed up reforms and curb corruption.

They chanted slogans such as, "The people want to cleanse the country" and "We don't want Hosny's men," referring to the cabinet appointed by Mubarak on January 31.

The Higher Council of the Armed Forces said this cabinet will remain in place until a new government is formed. The council called for a peaceful transition towards a free and democratic civilian-led Egypt and said new elections will be held within six months.

Over the past week, the activists behind the popular uprising that led to Mubarak's resignation have been calling for nationwide demonstrations every Friday to put pressure on the armed forces, which currently run the country.

Hundreds of thousands of protesters in the northern city of Alexandria, and 20,000 protesters in North Sinai's al-Arish city also demanded faster reforms.

The people in Tahrir Square prayed for those who had died during the protests, which triggered clashes with police. The unrest left at least 365 people dead, according to authorities.

"The revolution is not over. The building of Egypt is still yet to come," former exile Sheikh Youssef al-Qaradawi told people in the square, one day after he arrived from Qatar.

"Continue the revolution and remain united, don't let anyone come in your way," al-Qaradawi said.

In Ismailia, 10,000 people called for holding those behind the killings of protesters accountable.

In Cairo's Mohandissen district, however, some 10,000 Egyptians rallied to show their support for Mubarak, saying that they were sorry he had resigned.

The protesters - most of them men - said they wanted to honour Mubarak, who was in power for nearly 30 years.

The demonstration followed the arrests the night before of three former government ministers, including the widely despised former interior minister Habib el-Adly, on suspicion of misappropriating public funds.

Steel magnate and former parliamentarian Ahmed Ezz was also arrested on allegations of money laundering related to public funds.

El-Adly and Ezz, along with former ministers of tourism and housing Zuhair Garana and Ahmed el-Maghrabi, are in police custody pending further investigation.

The demonstrations are seen as a test for the military, which has been praised for the restraint it showed during the anti-government protests.

The military has been urging Egyptians to end protests and strikes and resume their normal lives in order to ensure stability in the country of 80 million people.

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