Demonstrators take part in a protest marking the first anniversary of Egypt's uprising at Tahrir Square in Cairo 25 January 2012. (Photo: Reuters - Mohamed Abd El-Ghany)
Islamists, liberals, leftists, and ordinary citizens made their way to the square, but protesters carried banners with a wide range of messages, reflecting the disagreement over what Wednesday's rally symbolized.
Supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood and the Salafist al-Nour party – who now dominate Egypt's parliament – were largely there to celebrate the revolution.
But several other groups, including pro-democracy movements behind last year's revolt, insist they are there to reignite their unfinished revolution and demand the ouster of the military council that took over when Mubarak quit.
"The first anniversary celebration" read one huge banner in the square, where "popular committees" searched protesters on their way in.
"Down, down with military rule," read another.
Four stages have been built, with different groups expected to broadcast their own messages from the podiums.
Concerns remain, particularly among liberal Egyptians, that the goals of the revolution have not been fully attained.
Activists continue to demand an end to military rule, headed by Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi and the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), with protests late last year leading to deadly clashes amid a brutal military crackdown.
In a gesture to appease opponents, Tantawi on Tuesday announced the partial lifting of Egypt's dreaded emergency laws, except in cases of "thuggery," without specifying what that implied.
The ambiguity of the emergency law's status drew criticism from Human Rights Watch, which said it was "an invitation to continued abuse."
"Military leaders have frequently described protesters as 'thugs' and military tribunals have convicted peaceful protesters after unfair trials for the crime of 'thuggery'," said Human Rights Watch on Wednesday.
Heba Morayef, the Egypt researcher for New-York based Human Rights Watch, described the exceptional clause as "misleading," saying it left wide scope for arbitrary detention.
Tantawi's announcement also failed to convince certain members of parliament, with an Islamist MP asserting that the law was still in place.
"This is not a real cancellation of the state of emergency," said Essam Sultan, a newly elected member of parliament from the Wasat Party, a moderate Islamist group.
"The proper law designates the ending of the state of emergency completely or enforcing it completely, nothing in between," he said.
Egyptians have been living under emergency law continuously since Mubarak took power in 1981.
In September, the SCAF widened the scope of the emergency law – restricted in 2010 to narcotics and terrorism – to strikes, traffic disruption, and the spreading of rumors, paving the way for the detention of activists, bloggers, and journalists.
"Before the revolution, we saw bloggers and peaceful opponents of Mubarak's regime detained administratively on terrorism and drug trafficking accusations," said Rachid Mesli, director of Alkarama's legal department, who co-signed the statement with Human Rights Watch.
"If the emergency law is not lifted completely, such an exception will undoubtedly allow for the continuation of these arbitrary detentions," he said.
The military, which took power when Mubarak was ousted in February, enjoyed hero status at the start of the revolt for refusing to shoot protesters.
But it has since become the target of protesters' anger, who accuse the army of rights abuses and of using Mubarak-era tactics to stifle dissent.
SCAF says it will retain its military rule until a new president is elected in June, and has at least won the support of the powerful Muslim Brotherhood to adhere to its timetable.
But the Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), which won nearly half of the lower house seats, announced that parliament will form a fact-finding committee to investigate the deaths of roughly 800 people in the uprising against Mubarak.
In parliament, one lawmaker after another echoed the demand for an independent fact-finding committee into violence which killed around 800 people. No senior official has been found responsible for the violence.
Akram al-Sha'ir, whose son was injured in the protests, broke into tears during a passionate speech to the chamber now dominated by members of his Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), the party of the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood.
"Mr. Speaker, it's been a year, where is the verdict? Tardy justice is oppression," he said.
"We want real justice," he said, to a standing ovation.
FJP secretary-general, Saad el-Katatni, who was elected speaker of the parliament on Monday, said: "The chamber will form a fact-finding committee after these discussions."
However, MPs wrangled into the night over who should be on the committee, as well as over the composition of other parliamentary sub-committees charged with overseeing everything from defense to health care.
Elections to decide who should sit on the committees were postponed when smaller parties withdrew in protest at what they said were FPJ attempts at domination.
As for the former dictator, Mubarak is now standing trial, facing charges including ordering the killing of protesters during the 18-day uprising that ended when he handed power to the military leadership on February 11.
But the prosecution has said a lack of cooperation from security authorities has hindered evidence gathering.
That charge – denied by the authorities – has strengthened the view of those Egyptians who worry that much of the Mubarak-era establishment is still in place and blocking reform.
One MP criticized SCAF-appointed Prime Minister Kamal al-Ganzouri – who also served the same office under Mubarak – for failing to attend the parliamentary session, saying his absence was reminiscent of the Mubarak days.
In the eyes of many Egyptians, Mubarak may be gone, but the institutions of his regime still remain.
(Al-Akhbar, Reuters, AFP)
Uprooted Palestinian 
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