Thousands gather at Cairo's Tahrir Square

Feb 18, 2011 |

CAIRO

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Several thousand flag-waving citizens and sightseers gathered on Friday at Cairo's Tahrir Square, the epicentre of anti-regime protests that a week ago forced Egypt's long-time strongman out.

The mood in the square — which was the site of clashes during an 18-day uprising against president Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule — was celebratory on Friday, with everyone all smiles.

"This is a party. We are very happy; Mubarak is gone. I think we will come every week, every Friday," said Nasir Mohammed, 50.

Though the mood was happy, Tahrir was nonetheless surrounded by tanks and a cordon of soldiers checking IDs, with a second line of people from the popular committees.

The drum-beating, singing crowd was building on Friday morning, with several hundred military police in red berets keeping watch. The Police were not in body armour, and were mostly unarmed.

The gathering comes a week after Mubarak was forced out of office by an unprecedented wave of protests in the Arab world's most populous country, which is now ruled by a military junta.

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