Tahrir Square springs back to life with fresh protests

Cairo: Thousands of people from around Egypt yesterday converged on Tahrir Square in central Cairo to vent their anger against the military rulers whom they accused of preventing the uprising that deposed long-standing president Hosni Mubarak from becoming a full-fledged revolution.

"Down with the military rule," was the outcry with which the square — the epicentre of the anti-Mubarak uprising — reverberated in the biggest rally in a year. Braving heavy rains that soaked Cairo on Tuesday night, thousands of protesters flocked to Tahrir Square on the first anniversary of the anti-Mubarak uprising.

"Either we die like them or regain our rights," chanted protesters across the plaza, referring to more than 800 people who were killed in protests against the Mubarak regime last year. Families of the slain protesters yesterday displayed their photos, demanding "retribution". Activists, meanwhile, conducted mock lynchings of effigies of Mubarak and former interior minister Habib Al Adly.

Charged with killing

Mubarak and Al Adly are charged with ordering the killing of at least 846 protesters and injuring more than 6,000 others. Both have pleaded not guilty.

"One year after the revolution, there is no justice in sight for our sons who were brutally killed while demanding freedom for Egyptians," said Mustafa Hassan, who said a relative of his was among those killed by the regime.

Hassan came from the Nile delta province of Behaira to Tahrir Square to "demand justice for the martyrs".

"The trials being held for Mubarak and his aides are a big farce. The military rulers think that by dragging their feet on punishing the killers we will forget about the rights of the victims. They are totally wrong," he said.

A makeshift monument bedecked with photos of the killed protesters was set up in one part of the square.

The emotive issue of the martyrs also took centre stage on Tuesday in the second session of the newly elected parliament.

Islamist MP Akram Al Shair asked the parliament to jail Mubarak over alleged complicity in killing the protesters. Fighting back tears, he said: "We do not want compensation. We want their killers to be punished."

Al Shair said his son was seriously injured in the crackdown by the regime.