A year on in Egypt
January 25, 2012
Egyptians gathered on Wednesday in the place where their country began to change exactly one year ago. On January 25, 2011, thousands took part in what they called a "Day of Rage" protest at Tahrir Square, calling for President Hosni Mubarak to relinquish his 30-year rule. Less than three weeks later, Mubarak was gone.
To mark the anniversary, thousands of Egyptians returned to the central Cairo square, some celebrating, others protesting the slowness of the process by which the country's interim military rulers are ushering in democratic rule.
Early on Wednesday, volunteers were checking IDs and conducting searches of the protesters flocking to Tahrir Square - with the military and police keeping their distance. The square was the site of several altercations between protesters and security forces prior to Mubarak's resignation.
Military makes small concessions
Military rulers took over from Mubarak on February 11, 2011, and are likely to remain in charge at least until presidential elections scheduled for June. The country's new parliament, however, gathered for its first assembly on Monday after a lengthy, multi-stage election. In an apparent bid to appease its opponents over the past few days, the military council also pardoned some 2,000 people convicted in military courts since Mubarak was deposed.
The military also partially lifted a state of emergency that has been in place in Egypt since 1981 on Tuesday, but still kept a clause allowing it to apply in cases of "thuggery."
The Muslim Brotherhood, a banned group of parties under Mubarak that now holds the most seats in Egypt's parliament, issued its support for the military council last week, though several liberal pro-democracy groups are calling for an immediate transition to civilian rule.
Author: Mark Hallam (AP, dpa, Reuters)
Editor: Michael Lawton