Egyptians Mark Anniversary of Tahrir Square Uprising

A year after the revolution and ousting of Hosni Mubarak, tens of thousands of Egyptians rallied in symbolic Tahrir Square on Wednesday to celebrate the anniversary of their victory and continue the overhaul of Mubarak’s regime.

The New York Times reports that the crowd was made up mostly of male youth groups and activists assembled with flags and smiles, but the tension was palpable with support for conflicting political parties on display at the demonstrations.

The Associated Press notes that members of the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamists garnered much of the vocal support, having become Egypt’s predominant political bloc with almost half the seats in parliament. Brotherhood members spread a message that the revolution was successful, and Egyptians need to rally behind the new parliament. The Salafis, known to be more radical Islamists, hold a quarter of the seats.

Demonstrators also chanted to execute Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, who has led the military rule that replaced Mubarak since last February. Egyptian liberals accuse Tantawi of sustaining the authoritarian regime and ordering troops to kill more than 80 protesters since October.

"I am not here to celebrate. I am here for a second revolution," Attiya Mohammed Attiya, a 35-year-old father of four children who is unemployed, told the AP. "The military council is made of remnants of the Mubarak regime. We will only succeed when we remove them from power."

There was no visible evidence of soldiers or police at the demonstration, according to the Times.