Egyptians mark anniversary of Mubarak fall with protests

PanARMENIAN.Net - Security forces sprayed protesters with water hoses and tear gas outside the presidential palace as Egyptians marked the second anniversary of the fall of Hosni Mubarak's with angry demonstrations against his elected successor, The Associated Press reports.

The forces were trying to disperse a small crowd of protesters on Monday, Feb 11 evening, after some of them attempted to cross a barbed wire barrier meant to block them from the palace gate. Some protesters chanted: "The people want to bring down the regime." Others threw stones.

Graffiti scribbled on the palace walls read: "Erhal" or "Leave," the chant that echoed through Cairo's central Tahrir Square during the 18-day uprising that ended with Mubarak stepping down on Feb. 11, 2011.

Earlier, masked men briefly blocked trains at a central Cairo subway station and a dozen other protesters blocked traffic with burning tires on a main overpass in Cairo. Hundreds rallied outside the office of the country's chief prosecutor, demanding justice and retribution for protesters killed in clashes with security forces after Islamist President Mohammed Morsi took office last summer.

The protesters lobbed plastic bags filled with red liquid at the prosecutor's office to recall the blood spilled by civilians in clashes with security forces. The prosecutor's appointment by Morsi was criticized as a violation of the judiciary's independence. Another group of protesters locked the doors of the main administrative building for state services just outside the subway station at Tahrir Square.