Islamists were out on the streets of Cairo in a show of force Friday to demand members of ousted president Hosni Mubarak's regime be barred from politics, in a stand-off with Egypt's ruling military. Thousands gathered in an upbeat mood in the capital's iconic Tahrir Square, symbol of the popular protest movement that led to last year's downfall of Mubarak, amid chants of "No to leftovers from the old regime!"
"We don't want Omar Suleiman!" they cried, referring to Mubarak's former intelligence chief who was also briefly vice president, and who seeks a return to political life as a presidential candidate in the May 23-24 election. The contest has pitted Egypt's powerful and organised Islamist forces against Mubarak-era officials.