After Weeks of Revolution, 'Day of Cleaning' in Cairo

Feb 12, 2011 – 11:01 AM

Text Size

Sarah A. Topol Contributor

At the epicenter of the protest that brought down the three-decade regime of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, young men and women took to the streets again today -- only this time, with a different agenda. Armed with brooms, gloves and trash bags, they launched a massive cleanup following 18 straight days of unrest that debilitated the country.

"We're taking care of the square, and then we'll clean up the whole country," Mohammed El Tayeb said while standing amid the volunteer cleaning crews sweeping up Tahrir Square. "This is a beautiful country. Now it's ours and we're going to take care of it."

Across the crowded square, young men walked with paper signs taped to their chests that read: "Sorry for the disturbance, we're building Egypt." After days of protests that had such names as the "Day of Rage" and "Day of Millions," today's gathering was called the "Day of Cleaning." A new era has dawned upon the country of 80 million.

Some of the tents previously cramming the square were dismantled as the youth of Egypt's revolution prepared to go home. Vice President Omar Suleiman announced Mubarak's resignation last night and said the government was ceding power to the Supreme Council of the Egyptian Armed Forces.

Protesters who had been demanding an end to the regime erupted in cheers of victory. The country celebrated through the night with firecrackers, chanting, singing and car horn honking.

Egypt's military took charge today by relaxing the nighttime curfew to start at midnight instead of 8 p.m. Military officials also restricted travel by current and former government officials without permission from the state prosecutor or the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, according to The Associated Press.

http://xml.channel.aol.com/xmlpublisher/fetch.v2.xml?option=expand_relative_urls&dataUrlNodes=uiConfig,feedConfig,localizationConfig,entry&id=976228&pid=976227&uts=1297525422

http://www.aolcdn.com/ke/media_gallery/v1/ke_media_gallery_wrapper.swf

Photos From Egypt

Egyptians clean up garbage and rocks from a street near Tahrir Square in downtown Cairo on Saturday. Click through for more photos from Egypt.

Photos from Egypt

Under heavy police watch, hundreds of protesters in Cairo, Egypt, on Wednesday, January 26, 2011, demanded an end to the authoritarian regime of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, a key U.S. ally in the Arab world. (Hannah Allam/MCT)

Photos from Egypt

An Egyptian cameraman films a standoff in downtown Cairo, Egypt, on Wednesday, January 26, 2011, between riot police and protesters who demand an end to the authoritarian regime of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, a key U.S. ally in the Arab world. (Hannah Allam/MCT)

Photos from Egypt

Women joined small demonstrations in downtown Cairo, Egypt, on Wednesday, January 26, 2011, as protesters, under heavy police guard, demanded an end to the authoritarian regime of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, a key U.S. ally in the Arab world. (Hannah Allam/MCT)

Photos from Egypt

This combination of undated photos shows Associated Press Television News cameraman Haridi Hussein Haridi, 54, left, and his assistant Haitham Badry, 23. The two were arrested by Egyptian security in Cairo, Egypt early Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2011, while the two were filming clashes between security troops and protesters in Cairo demanding the ouster of the country's president. Haridi telephoned the AP news bureau to say the two had been pushed into a police van and were being driven to an unknown location before his mobile phone was disconnected. (AP Photo)

Photos from Egypt

Egyptian anti-government activists chant slogans as they gather on the rooftop of the Lawyers Syndicate in downtown Cairo, Egypt, Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2011. Egyptian anti-government activists clashed with police for a second day Wednesday in defiance of an official ban on any protests but beefed up police forces on the streets quickly moved in and used tear gas and beatings to disperse demonstrations. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)

Photos from Egypt

Egyptian anti-government activists chant slogans as they gather inside the Lawyers Syndicate in downtown Cairo, Egypt, Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2011. Egyptian anti-government activists clashed with police for a second day Wednesday in defiance of an official ban on any protests but beefed up police forces on the streets quickly moved in and used tear gas and beatings to disperse demonstrations. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)

Photos from Egypt

In this Jan. 25, 2011 photo, AP photographer Nasser Gamil Nasser is shown after being beaten by a policeman and injured while shooting protests in Cairo, Egypt. Nasser, 43, had his right cheekbone broken and will need surgery to repair the fractures. He said a policeman charged him while he was shooting protests late Tuesday and hurled a stone at his face. His camera was smashed. (AP Photo/Maher Malak)

Photos from Egypt

Egyptian anti-government activists gathering on a road next to the Nile river in Cairo, Egypt, Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2011. Egyptian anti-government activists clashed with police for a second day Wednesday in defiance of an official ban on any protests but beefed up police forces on the streets quickly moved in and used tear gas and beatings to disperse demonstrations. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

Photos from Egypt

Egyptian demonstrators demanding the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak and calling for reforms throw object towards riot police in Cairo on January 26, 2011. AFP PHOTO/STR (Photo credit should read STR/AFP/Getty Images)

Photos from Egypt

Today, some protesters announced their work was finally complete and they trust the army to stay loyal to the people. Others remain skeptical of the institution's intentions.

Affixing an Egyptian flag to the top of the green tent he had been sleeping in for more than two weeks, Mohammed Nasser said he would continue to camp in Tahrir Square.

"I will never vacate this square until the demands of the people are executed by the military leaders. Until now we cannot have full confidence in them. The system has been cheating us for 30 years," the 62-year-old engineer said. "We cannot have a half-revolution, we need a complete revolution."

Others, like Sarah Baghdaely, disagreed and said it was time to go home. The 23-year-old teacher met three friends in her neighborhood supermarket on the outskirts of Cairo to purchase brooms to bring to the square today. The four women rested on the curb in the midday heat. "It's a little bit sunny, but it's fine," Baghdaely said, laughing.