Egypt army scuffles with protesters

CAIRO: Egyptian soldiers on Sunday scuffled with dozens of die-hard protesters who refused to leave Cairo's Tahrir Square, the focal point of massive rallies that brought down president Hosni Mubarak. Hundreds of thousands camping out on the emblematic square packed up and went home after Mubarak's resignation on Friday, which saw power go to a military council that swiftly vowed to pave the way for democracy. But some protesters refuse to leave the square until promises for reform are implemented. When soldiers asked them to leave, they chanted, "Protest, protest, until we get our demands," leading to minor scuffles. The soldiers then backed away and allowed the protesters to remain in their positions. Traffic had resumed in parts of Tahrir Square after 18 days of massive protests that brought Cairo's bustling centre to a grinding halt. The new military leadership said Saturday that the current government would remain in place for a peaceful transition to "an elected civil authority to build a free democratic state," although it set no timetable. Massive nationwide protests erupted on January 25 demanding Mubarak's ouster, leaving at least 300 dead and scores more injured and detained.(AFP)