Robed Lawyers Join Protests and March in Egypt, Calling for a Trial of Mubarak
Updated: Thousands of lawyers and doctors joined protests in Egypt’s Tahrir Square on Thursday amid calls for Hosni Mubarak to resign.
On Friday, the protest turned to a celebration when Mubarak stepped down, leaving the announcement to his recently named vice president, Omar Suleiman, according to the Washington Post and the New York Times. Mubarak, who had refused to fully cede power in an address to the nation the evening before, was turning over power to the military, Suleiman said in a televised address.
Before the address, lawyers overturned barricades near Abdeen Palace, the former home of Egypt’s monarchy, and then headed to Tahrir Square, CNN says. The lawyers, dressed in black robes, were joined by doctors in white lab coats, the Associated Press says.
Al Jazeera’s live blog estimates that about 3,000 lawyers and 1,000 physicians were protesting, while the Associated Press puts the number of lawyers in the hundreds.
National Public Radio quotes Mohammed Zarie, one of the marching lawyers. “We demand a trial of Mubarak and his regime; we are protesting corruption,” he said. Zarie said the lawyers planned to spend the night at Tahrir Square.
Last updated on Friday after Mubarak’s resignation.
