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Marco Longari / AFP - Getty Images
An Egyptian protester wearing a wristband in the colours of his national flag shouts slogans in Cairo's landmark Tahrir Square on Sunday.
Updated 09:18 a.m. ET: CAIRO -- Hundreds of Egyptians occupied Cairo's central Tahrir Square on Sunday, enraged that a court had spared deposed leader Hosni Mubarak his life over the killing of protesters in the uprising that ended his three-decade rule.
They saw the sentence and the acquittal of senior police officers on Saturday as proof that the old regime still wields influence and feared Mubarak could now be acquitted on appeal. Mubarak was handed a life prison sentence.
Egypt's general prosecutor lodged an appeal against verdicts, according to state television reports on Sunday.
At nightfall on Saturday, up to 10,000 people gathered to vent anger over acquittals on corruption charges even though longtime U.S. ally Mubarak was sentenced to life in prison for failing to stop the killing of 900 protesters in January 2011.
By early Sunday morning, a few hundred were still gathered in Tahrir Square, where many said they would stay until those killed in the uprising were avenged.
Fredrik Persson / AP
Egyptians gather Saturday at Tahrir Square in Cairo to call for a new revolution in Egypt.
NBC’s Charlene Gubash reported that the atmosphere in Tahrir Square was “more like an open air party than a demonstration, with people setting off fluorescent fireworks…clapping, singing and chanting spontaneously”.
Former progressive candidates who made failed bids for the presidency came to encourage the crowd to unite against loyalists to the old regime and the results of the election.
One former candidate, activist Khalid Ali, rallied the masses to build a build a national coalition to save the revolution.
The long-awaited Mubarak verdict deepened fear among many pro-democracy campaigners that recent developments are reversing Egypt's emergence from decades of autocratic rule.
Protesters fill Cairo's Tahrir Square on Saturday after Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak was sentenced to life in prison. Many of the protesters are reportedly angry that members of Mubarak's family and staff were not sentenced to prison as well. NBC's Ayman Mohyeldin reports.
"This was not a fair verdict and there is mass rejection of the judge's ruling," said one protester, Amr Magdy. "Tahrir will fill up again with protesters. In Egypt the only way you can get any justice is by protesting because all the institutions are still controlled by Mubarak figures."
Many of the young liberal and left-wing revolutionaries who began the uprising were dismayed when their own candidates lost the first round of the presidential election last month.
Shortly after former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak was rolled into the courthouse on a stretcher, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison. NBC's Richard Engel reports.
A run-off on June 16 and 17 will pit Mubarak's last prime minister Ahmed Shafiq, who holds Mubarak as a role model, against the candidate of the socially conservative Muslim Brotherhood, Mohamed Mursi.
Dozens of young men ransacked Shafiq's campaign office in Fayoum south of Cairo overnight, the second such attack in recent days, state news website al-Ahram reported. A Shafiq campaigner in Cairo said he was not aware of the attack.
Footage posted on Al-Ahram's website showed youths destroying and burning Shafiq's pictures and banners and others chanting: "Fayoum says Ahmed Shafiq is feloul," an Arabic word used to refer to remnants of the Mubarak era.
Watch World News videos on msnbc.com
The Muslim Brotherhood party called on their huge membership to come into the squares throughout Egypt to support the revolution.
It appears the call was heeded, as numbers swelled in Tahrir, Alexandria, Suez and Mansoura.
Dr Omar Ashour, visiting scholar at the Brookings Doha Center in Qatar, told msnbc.com the clearing of the security generals by the court sent “a message of impunity”.
“This is highly problematic, as the verdicts empower an anti-reform, anti-revolution dominant faction in interior ministry.
“Tahrir Square will challenge this outcome. We just got out of election where more than 15 million voted for pro-change, not pro-status-quo, candidates.”
More world news from msnbc.com and NBC News:
- As United States pulls out, China seeks role in Afghanistan
- Anger as Egypt's ex-ruler Mubarak gets life in prison, not death
- In Cairo, cheers and fears over Mubarak sentencing
- NATO rescues doctors kidnapped by Taliban in 'extraordinarily brave' operation
- British monarchy's critics face uphill battle during jubilee
- Mourning the loss of more lives in Syria
Follow us on Twitter: @msnbc_world
Leave a Comment:
It is unspeakable.
they are just looking for reasons to cause violence. i'm pretty sure the world has had enough of egypt by now. i cant imagine they didn't lose a ton of tourism business over this whole thing. if they really wanted to be progressive, they would get over it and move on with their lives.
These people act like nothing but animals that are lead around like sheep by whoever has their chain at the time.
Mubarak's reign is going to be considered the glory days in 3 years. But they will be too stupid to recognize it.
I just lost my respect for the Egypt people. They are dogs. The man is close to death, let him live his last years.
These judges would have slapped Adolf Hitler with a three-year prison sentence.
You are moron. The analogy is idiotic. Judges passed maximum possible sentence short of death penalty and Mubarak did not murder millions of people and started a war leading to 50mln. deaths and world-wide destruction. THe only reason egyptian judges might have given Hitler 3 year prison sentence is because of their hatred of Jews not because there is any parallel between Hitler and Mubarak respective crimes.
Mubarak, was the force keeping the Radical Muslim brotherhood, from taking over Egypt and turning it into a Islam republic; he is out, they are in; Egypt radicals have announced that, if elected, they will close the Suez canal to all western warships, we actually encouraged the takeover of our ally by our enemy's, except for Israel, there is no democracy in the middle east and has not been one for 5000 years.
Exactly Saxon, they want to wipe out his entire family and Obama supports this kind of behavior.
I don't blame Israel for not trusting him!
Let's face it, if Muslim Brotherhood candidate, Mohamed Mursi, or another radical Islamist candidate wins, Egypt will become the next Iran and their tourism business will plummet. Tourism is a huge part of their GDP, and they better realize that when the go to the polls and vote one of those thugs into office. If they win, the new government will make Mubarak look like a frikin Saint.
@harley chic, I got a son just like you. He's a failure and points his finger at the dems. His problem with falure is himself. I'd like for you to meet him. You make a fitting couple.
Mubarak was a builder first and foremost. He also institutionalized the respect for the ancient past of egypt. He tried to develope a sense of unique history among the people. The library of Alexandria was built in recognition of the original. The resources of Egypt are scant, and the population is large and growing fast. Mubarak did not have the tools to make a better life for all, and he stayed in power too long.
Let us recognize that he and his staff tempered the reaction of the military to the protests, and he stayed in Egypt when the writing was clearly on the wall. Although the footsoldiers killed some protesters, I fell that Mubarak and his family has behaved honorably throughout this whole overthrow.
The mob of illiterates want to drag his body through the streets, as they did Hypatia 1500 years earlier when the religious nuts destroyed the original library of Alexandria. The Christians were a step backward then, the 'Islamic Brotherhood' will be as bad, or worse now.
Wow, tough crowd.
This guy will look good before it's all over.
Next dictator please!
I don't care how Mubarak behaves now that he's out of power, I care about how he acted while IN power. For that, I believe he should die.
Trust me, I'm not a true believer in the concept of death sentences, but hey, it's Egypt and that's how HE did things in his day...so why not vice-versa? It's just karma if you ask me.
What about justice tempered with mercy? Mr. Mubarak is dying anyway. He will face judgment one way or another, so why deliver death when it's already well on its way?
I'd rather he face judgment here, at the hands of the people he trampled. There is no proof of any other kind of judgment for him. I'd much rather be sure, and not leave it to chance.
we have left much more than chance; we built at a cost of 3 billion dollars the most modern, up to date , M1A1 Abrams tank building factory for the Egyptian army; now if the Islamic brotherhood wins the election, they will have the ability to produce a couple of thousand of the best heavy battle tank in the world, no wonder the Israel government thinks we are nuts.
Fine... just roll over belly-up for mob rule?
Ah, the good old days.
Nope, I would have expected the death sentence to be handed down by the same court that let him off the noose, as it were. The idea of mob rule is ridiculous, and that's no way to handle justice. If the court had done the right thing, there would be no mob in the streets at all. That's what I'm saying.
Uh oh. Has Obama encouraged a "BAD" thing? Sometimes you don't know how good things were till it's gone and you begin to see it's replacement and future. Poor Egyptians, they thought they we're protesting for the right reasons, but it turns out they were protesting against what Obama didn't want. That must suck for them, looking back ... and now to their future. Sorry, but some of us tried to warn you, but you wouldn't listen. Best of luck to you, and sorry for what our leader may well have been the daddy of.
To some point you are right man.Obama dint know the monster he was creating in middle east and that is why he is slow in supporting removal of Syria president.Some things are good left as found.Same thing happened to Mali in Africa where the toppled the legitimate govn and ended up deviding the country into Christian south and Muslim north.The north now is like a muslim state practicing sharia law.US wants a moderate man but going by the latest events most young Egyptians want nothing short of Muslim state.The question is,do all the Egyptians want sharia law applied?
I sincerely believe this is why we're not going into Syria. We don't know what or who's going to be in control if Assad is gone. And how they will act. Libya is still in turmoil and the way the people treated Ghadafi was shameful.
Ah, it's all Obama's fault. That didn't take long. I'll bet the above posters yearning for the "glory days" of the despotic Mubarak are also self-described anti-statists who think any regulation on corporations or any gun law is fascism.
stexan was collapsed, who is the PC cop on news vine, sally and tyler, do your job, stop legitimate comments from being collapsed.
I always get such a laugh when someone uses the term " self-described" in regards to another. Because as soon as I hear it I know it is the person saying it is the one doing the describing.
Egypt will be to Obama what Iran was to Carter as Carter stood by and let a bunch of radicals take over that country. Iran is now a leader in spreading terrorism. Egypt may be as bad, if not worse, if taken over by the radicals, and Obama is doing nothing but traveling across the country with his teleprompter, telling lies to try to get re-elected. Obama needs to let the Egyptian people know that if they become a radical Islamic run state, with Sharia law, with their lack of respect for other religions, it will be bad for them.
Who cares? All they're going to do is vote Islam into power - they're just trading one tyrant for another.
Amen to that
But which islamic groupe is the least tyranical.
The issue of Egypt might end with serious civil war.We can see a bad precedent set by protesters who want judgement made as they wish which is not posible.I believe Egypt is a civilised country and have judicial system where people are allowed to appeal.But what we are seeing is peoples Kangaroo court is what they are advocating for.I am smelling civil war because this same people might dispute outcome of elections which might be free and fair.Some few people want to force things go their way no matter what.Oooh! i forgot Egypt is just another African country.
STexan - Funny how you blame President Obama for Egypt's court decision. Do I agree with the acquittal? No, but I don't blame Obama for it either. I think Egypt is going down the right track. Our own civil war lasted years and then the recovery was decades. Even now we still have issues with race in the southern states. So less then a year for Egypt is like saying they just started. Give them a couple Decades and then you can make a statement about how they are doing.
Civil war is never a good thing, EVER.
Our own was horrific killed more Americans then any other war in our history, and destroyed half the nation for almost 50 years. And as a PS to this, I am a Texan that now lives in the NE and I see more Racism, Bigotry, and general people acting disrespectful to one another in the Northern part of the country then I EVER did in the 4 southern states I have lived in. So I don't think you have your facts correct on current events there.
This country is going to elect and run an Islamic regime that will further destabilize the area and possibly lead to war and many deaths. There is a reason our own fore fathers put in the constitution that you don't mix Religion and Government. It leads to a corruption of both.
And Christians everywhere can't wait for their supreme demigod dictator (King Jesus) to return so he can establish his totalitarian theocratic kingdom over our entire Earth. These corrupt Abrahamic religions are all designed to become the total destruction of our human world one day in a final program "End Time" cataclysm known as the Christian Apocalypse or World War III. Sadly, no one wants to listen to "The Truth" before it is too late to save our emerging human race from total annihilation and eventual extinction here on Earth. The real "Gospel" or "Good News" is that mankind potentially has countless millions (even billions) of years of growth, development and expansion ahead of them so long as they don't fall for these (ET designed and installed) terminal religious "End Time" belief systems known as the Abrahamic religions. - Rick Carter
PS - If that tragic program "End Time" day ever comes to pass in our emerging human world, please know ahead of time that it will be outside offensive totalitarian ETs "coming in the clouds" militarily while once more masquerading as Divinity toward mankind, this time as the returning Christ or Messiah. Their ultimate goal is the steal and annex our extremely valuable celestial real estate and render all of mankind extinct on this precious planet one day. - RC
REPRINT - "Their ultimate goal is TO steal and annex our extremely valuable celestial real estate and render all of mankind extinct on this precious planet one day." - RC
(Our human world has been under covert biocybernetic warfare attack for thousands of years already by these outside offensive totalitarian ETs, primarily in the form of these corrupt ET designed and installed viral terminal religious belief systems known as the Abrahamic religions.)
(I am former U.S. Special Forces, 6th Group (Psyops) & 5th Group, top "Go Team" Ft. Bragg, N.C., ETS from active duty 1972. Please know that I would never lie about anything like this (especially to the entire human race). BTW, I also lived at Wright Patterson Air Force base from 1951 to 1953, while my grandfather (Colonel Charles Faulkner Carter) was second in command there. He was personally involved in the background investigation into the Roswell Incident of 1947.) - Rick Carter
@RickCarter
Dude whatever you are smoking must be industrial strength because YOU ARE TWEAKED!
Time to adjust your tinfoil hat and get back to the dumocrat reservation.
@brenda,
Your racism is showing, brenda. Ive seen more racism in my life in the northeast of the country than I've ever seen in the south. And your comments are also typical as the first thing you do is jump to shield barry from any blame and start screaming racism.
Funny thing how the racists scream racism.
And since the south is mostly one race, who are the racists?
@Crystal-Clear
Do what??? that was the most ignorant comment ive seen in at least 3 minutes.
Obama has polarized this country.
Kind of reminds me of the Treyvon Martin case writ large! All that are needed are torches, pitchforks and some cretin screaming "get a rope"! Wow, is that Reverand Al in the third row?
The great danger of the heard mentality is that once they start to stampede, it's real hard to control where they go.
RickCarter: Although I'm sure there is much going on between us and our planetary neighbors, if they wanted to take out humanity, they would have done it a long time ago, as they are more than capable.
Brenda, Brenda, Brenda, my dear! If you truly believe this
"Our own civil war lasted years and then the recovery was decades. Even now we still have issues with race in the southern states".
You my dear are totally clueless to absolutely any and all subjects past, present, and future. Hide your all consuming ignorance and stop posting. Pretty please.
Rick Carter.....Do you by any chance suffer from shell shock?
Krotch Kricket: What is it about Brenda's posting which you find "clueless"?
"Our own civil war lasted years..." Yes, as a matter of fact, it lasted 4 years.
"...and the recovery was decades". True also. Reconstruction began during the war (1861-1865) and and continued to 1877. The plural of more than one decade is "decades".
"Even now we still have issues with race in the southern states"." Again, another true statement as racial issues are still very much alive and kicking.
As for Rick Carter's posts, where is your proof that what he stated is wrong?
Instead of allowing everyone to witness your lack of knowledge and unless you have something worthwhile to contribute, sometimes it's in your best interest to just to zip it, listen and learn.
Brenda,
These people blame Obama for everything. Their failings are so numerous and evident that if they don't have a pasty to blame they might just need to look at themselves in the mirror.
Why would you want to blame a "pasty"? English much????
In this case the Obama State dept has given the approval to Islamists. In this case the the Muslim Brotherhood and the salafists. The "western-style" democratic candidates (the raves of the egyption droid camp are an extreme minority compared to Egypts illiterate 30% demographic,) got barely a pat on the back.
They haven't had enough blood. Is anyone surprised they are angry and protesting? What is it this week? Did someone loose a soccer game? did someones camel leave a pile on your lawn?
We ourselves had the Occupy movement to show our anger at wall street. Does that mean we have a kangaroo court? No! What it means is we have a large group of people letting our government know of our dissatisfaction. I think that is what they are doing in Egypt, but when they do it, we blame Obama and say Egypt is failing and it's all his fault. I think it's great they are showing their freedom of speech. Two thumbs up for Egypt's people.
And one thumb down for the future of democracy in Egypt, which in the Middle East and Africa appears to mean 'mob rule', exactly what our own Founders feared.
Consider the two candidates facing each other in the upcoming runoff election: one is Mubarak's long-time friend and last prime minister - who may very well wish to pardon him - and the other is a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, who promises to re-try the former president. Clearly an act of vengeance designed to placate the masses (and win the election), but hardly in accordance with the due process upon which our judicial system rests.
Must they adopt our form of government, or the British, or any European form? No, of course not, nor should anyone expect them to; they will forge their unique brand from the historical, geographical, economic, social, political, and religious elements that comprise Egypt. But none should call it 'democracy'. . .
Egypt is a total failure.
So much for the Arab Spring.
Brenda1964, the difference between Occupy and what is going on in Egypt is rather big. While both movements have frustration with the status quo, Occupy has simmered down and people are channeling their frustration in more productive ways.
Acting like a civilized society, this man is 83yo, he's not going to last much longer, take his sumglasses, strip him down to Bring him bread and water 3 times a day and let him live (suffer) for his remaining days. And if the people want revenge, nuke their butts. I'm not against the death penalty, even for the entire middle east. Turm their countries into glass, end of problem. Than maybe the ones in the US will wise up and learn to live like Americans with American laws. They can have their laws in their country, don't like ours, go back to yours.
I don't think the muslims want or deserve personal freedom. Leave them alone,stay out of their business and ignore them them when they cry.
@royce-2695472, First you say nuke their country, then you say if they don't like the laws in the US to go back to their country. Which is it, Nuke them or send them back? Sounds like you are a Republican. Reason I know this is because the first thing Republicans do for a response is nuke them or shoot them. Anything but act responsibly towards them. I know it's hard to not shoot everything to solve your problems, but some of us like diversity and would like to embrace different thoughts and religion. So if you could stop blowing or shooting everything up, maybe the rest of us could learn to get along.
Send them back first...*THEN* nuke their country...
brenda,
If getting along is truly your goal, you might start by not calling people names and making assumptions about their political leanings based on a comment about a middle eastern country. That's a pretty wide brush you're using on the Republican Party there. Just sayin'
Don't pay her any attention, she thinks the only place in this country where racism is a problem is in the southern states......LMFAO!
Brenda, there is nothing wrong with diversity and tolerating different thoughts, but when those different thoughts revolve around honor killings, beheadings, forced marriages between teenage girls and older men, and all out jihad....
Then we run into a problem. Nothing wrong with diversity, but there are some lines of thought that should not be left to flourish.
PS: While I am not entirely Republican I would say I am abit more republican than democrat and shooting and nuking has never been my idea of a solution.
This too shall pass. Let them vent their anger freely. In a week or less, they will calm down
900 innocent people were slaughtered anyone remember that and who was shooting them they are doing something about it
Its just going to get worse. The unrest in the world isnt because of Jesus, its because of man and his selfishness. There will never be peace from here on out because everyone wants something for nothing. Unrest is everywhere, even here in the states and why? Because someone else thinks they are entitled to my hard earned money because they do not want to work for it themselves. I am most willing to give to legitimate aid establishments but I raised my kid letting them know they are to work for themselves..its the worker bee's that provide for the slugs unfortunately. Again...this has nothing to do with Jesus, its man and his entitlement mindset..hold on America its is about to get worse. Believers, pray!
Can you say Republican?
Can you say..............truth hurts?
@brenda
Can you say you are a racist and a biggot? Where was his political party mentioned? Brenda you are a shill.
Getover........If you really want to find out how kooky she is you ought to go back up and read her post #4.1 What a clueless idiot!
Brenda, there is nothing wrong with what he said. Why should someone be made to work their hands raw while seeing others who are perfectly capable of working but choose not to get things handed over to them absolutely free?
Paxton Fetel - I could say the same thing about the house who consistently lets the rich get wellfair ( meaning tax cuts, loopholes, etc..) while demanding more taxes on the middle class and poor.
It's good to be King.
I just need to know one thing, was Frankenstein Jewish ?
I sure miss Foxnews comments section.
This is why these people are hopeless. Their idea of building a democracy is all about avenging murder with the murder. Instead of focusing on new elections and making sure a pro-democratic forces are elected and rights of minorities are protected they elect islamists and then direct their passions to demand a killing of 80+-year old bedridden former dictator. Nice. What can you expect from these savages.
You are arrogant in the extreme to suppose "Democracy" is their goal in the first place. I happen to know one of those "savages" and he has a Phd in mathematics. How bout you?
Angry, vengeful mob of largely uneducated people too absorbed with themselves to listen to reason... you'd think this was a Tea Party rally.
Last I checked there were no arrests at any Tea Party rallies....
I think of OWS!!!
Yes we know you hope and pray for violence from the Tea Party but it all comes from the ocuppy wall street people. Little things that Brenda would never tell you.
Looks like our Creator is right, when he says he'll get rid of them FOREVER. Thank you God,... we have a lot to look forward to.
God blew it ..man is made with a bad design flaw he just can't stop killing his own kind , maybe head back to the drawing board!!
The Muslim Brotherhood must be stopped at all costs. CAIR funds them and is one of Obama's Largest Contributers to his re election Campaign. CAIR in Chicago has already had some of its top executives charged and convicted of Terrorism.
Eygeptian today for Moubarak rewad of some 3 decade of peace with Israel ,they said he deserve maximum penalty,the mentaly of Eygeptian today, with verdict even Moubark did not kill any one may be hE did pocket some millions of dollars so what ,so do a lot of Arab country leaders,but he doese not deserve to be executed or killed ,for the past 18 month how many people got killed in Tharir square and arround. amongs peoples them self,those peoples with push OF the brother hood would never be staples country,they thirsty for blood ,these peoples who ruled eygept dont deserve to be prisioned or else,they servr their country that way because the mass majority need tough leader ,to straight them out,30yers in peace accord with israel .no war AND DONT APPRECIATED,they killing killing BLOOD THIRSTY SUCKERS,AND HUNGRY FOR KILLING IF IT WAS KILLING COPTICS OR UMON THEM SELFS ,I THINK THE COUNTRY SHOULD BE RULED BY MILLITAR,THAT WHAT PEOPLES WANT WITH IRON FIST
Has anyone ever thought that "wherever there are two or more muslims gathered in Mohammed's name it is the perfect place to drop a bomb". These folks are always in the street raising hell over something so lets go for it.
I have always thought of the same thing but then i remember we are all human and only God is perfect. Some people were born as human but are so evil minded and always use God name to justify their action. So whatever religion you belong to respect human life.Sometimes i get so angry and ask myself why dont other religion just wipe them out in the world but we are not born like that and that is why it will never happen.Control your anger and you will live longer.
I think and believe Mubarak is a monster. However, we are supposed to show people like Mubarak the mercy he did not show. We lead by example. I can't fault the people and their anger is justified. I also understand that there is no peace in revenge.
God bless America !
Americans ridiculing Egyptians for violent reactions to verdicts they don't approve of ? That is like the US telling Pakistan to secure their borders. Egyptians and Pakistanis alike know hypocrisy when they hear it.
"In Egypt the only way you can get any justice is by protesting because all the institutions are still controlled by Mubarak figures."
Replace Egypt in this sentence with "America" and Mubarak with "The Elite". Then take a good long look at the second photo in the article. This is what it takes people to overthrow tyranny. Until you become prepared to do this 80% of us will continue to live in squalor and misery that will only grow much worse with time. We have better means to accomplish this than any other nation on the face of the earth. It's called the second amendment, and it needs to be used while we still have it. If we wait until it is gone it will be all over but the crying.
"The tree of liberty should be watered from time to time with the blood of tyrants"
Thomas Jefferson.
No statement more truthful has ever been spoken. If you cut the leash and give them free reign such as we have here in America despotism will surely take over just like it has here in America. Only time will tell if we will if we will take this advise and act on it or continue to just sit back and be overtaken. I sincerely hope it will be the former instead of the latter, for time is quickly running out.
Krotch,
Gee, you sound a little jealous, don't you? Are you proposing overthrowing the government of the United States? See you in court for treason.
I am not proposing anything, just stating facts and opening eyes to rock hard reality. Our own founding fathers told us what would eventually happen to us (and they were right!)and what we needed to do to keep it in check.
Just do some research and you will find out how sociable is the Muslim Brotherhood that even assasinated their own founder, A bunch of Radical Islam Protester that want to impose their single minds on the west
kinda like the ununited states, huh