BACK IN THE SQUARE

Thousands Protest in Egypt

But ruling military warns of firm response.

Thousands of Egyptians packed into Cairo’s Tahrir Square—the site of the famous revolution that toppled President Hosni Mubarak’s regime—on Friday as they awaited the results of the nation’s first presidential election. While the ruling military said Egyptians have the right to assemble peacefully in the square, they said they will “deal firmly” with attempts to harm the public interest. Members of Egypt’s powerful Muslim Brotherhood party camped out overnight in the square, and they expected to be joined later in the afternoon by secular protesters. The Muslim Brotherhood has claimed their candidate for president, Mohamed Morsi, is the “legitimate” winner of the election, although Mubarak’s former deputy, Ahmed Shafiq, has declared himself the victor. The official results are expected this weekend.