Egypt Protests on Anniversary of Mubarak Ouster

Security forces sprayed protesters with water hoses and tear gas outside the presidential palace Monday as Egyptians marked the second anniversary of autocrat Hosni Mubarak's ouster with angry demonstrations against his elected successor.

The forces were trying to disperse a small crowd of protesters after some of them tried to cross a barbed wire barrier meant to keep them back from the palace gate.

Some protesters broke out in chants: "The people want to bring down the regime," while others responded by throwing stones.

Graffiti scribbled on the palace walls read: "Erhal" or "Leave," the chant that echoed through Tahrir Square during the 18-day uprising two years ago which ended with Mubarak stepping down on Feb. 11, 2011.

Earlier, masked men briefly blocked trains at a central Cairo subway station and a dozen other protesters blocked traffic on a main flyover in Cairo. Hundreds rallied outside the office of the country's chief prosecutor demanding justice and retribution for protesters killed in clashes with security forces after Islamist President Mohammed Morsi took office last summer.

Egypt has been gripped by political turmoil since Mubarak's ouster in the uprising sparked largely by widespread abuse at the hands of state security agencies. After he stepped down, Mubarak was replaced by a ruling military council that was in power for 17 months. The rule of the generals was marred by violence and criticism that the council mismanaged the transitional period.


Morsi won the first free and democratic elections in June by a small margin. But he and his Muslim Brotherhood, which rose to be Egypt's most powerful political group post-Mubarak, are now facing the wrath of Egyptians who say few of their goals when they toppled the old regime have been realized.

For many in Egypt, the past two years have only increased their frustration, as the economy deteriorated during the ensuing turmoil and political bickering between a largely secular opposition and a tightly organized and conservative Islamist bloc obstructed progress.

Protesters are particularly angry over the continued heavy handedness of security services, claiming little has changed since the Mubarak era. Many accuse Morsi and the Brotherhood of trying to monopolize power and ignoring the demands of the secular and liberal groups who were the backbone of the uprising.

Government opponents marched to Tahrir Square, the epicenter of the uprising which has been sealed off by protesters since November. Others went to the presidential palace. Hundreds marched through the streets of Alexandria, Egypt's second largest city.

"Of course I feel disappointed. Every day it's getting worse," said Ahmed Mohamed, a 20-year-old engineering student protesting outside the presidential palace said. "The economy is even worse and all government institutions are collapsing. Morsi won't even acknowledge this."

Doaa Mustafa, a 33-year-old housewife, said she is willing to stay on the streets until Morsi steps down as Mubarak did.

"We're here so that Mohammed Morsi, the dictator, will leave. He is just as bad as Mubarak, if not worse."

The protesters are demanding amendment of the country's new constitution. They claim the Islamists rushed the charter through the approval process despite disagreement with the opposition. The result, they say, was a charter that undermines freedoms of expression and belief and chips away at women rights.