Egypt press hails 'revival' of revolution in Tahrir Square

CAIRO // Egypt's press yesterday hailed the "revival" of the revolution after massive crowds took to the streets to demand democratic changes, a year after the start of the uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak.

"The revolution continues," trumpeted the independent daily Al-Shorouq, saying millions of Egyptians wanted to see "the end of military rule".

"The people want the continuation of the revolution," proclaimed the state-owned Al-Ahram, above a large picture of massive crowds thronging Tahrir Square - the symbolic heart of the Egyptian protests.

On January 25 last year, nationwide rallies kicked off the uprising that would change the course of the Arab world's most populous nation, bringing closer ambitions for democratic change.

But a year later, many are disenchanted and even angry at the ruling military, who protesters accuse of reneging on promises of reform and of rights abuses.

The military yesterday banned the son of the US transportation secretary and a number of other Americans from leaving the country as tensions rose over moves by Egyptian authorities to restrict the work of international rights organisations.

The US State Department's top human right official, Michael Posner, told reporters in Cairo that the apparent campaign against pro-democracy groups raised concerns about Egypt's transition to democracy and warned it could affect future assistance to Egypt, one of the largest recipients of US aid.

Mr Posner, who was in Cairo as part of a regional tour, did not give specifics about the Americans who have been barred from leaving Egypt, but he linked it to cases being investigated by Egyptian courts.

Sam LaHood, who heads the International Republican Institute in Egypt, was recently kept from boarding a flight out of Egypt.

Mr LaHood's father, Ray LaHood, a former congressman from Illinois, is transportation secretary and the most prominent Republican in President Barack Obama's administration.

The IRI was one of 10 organisations raided last month by Egyptian security forces, who carried off computers and boxes of files and interrogated staff members.

* With additional reporting by Associated Press