There were also protests by workers at a ceramic factory, a textile factory and at least two banks as Egyptians emboldened by the autocrat’s fall sought to improve their lot in a country where poverty and other challenges will take years or decades to address.
Troops pushed aside a dwindling band of protesters who don’t want to abandon their encampment in Tahrir Square, fearful that the generals entrusted with a transition to democratic rule will not fulfill their pledges.
Still, most protesters had left the square in downtown Cairo, and traffic moved through the area for the first time, even though some activists tried to block vehicles by laying down blankets in the road.
About 1,000 police who protested in front of the Interior Ministry, which oversees them, scuffled with soldiers who tried to disperse them. Some troops fired gunshots in the air, but later withdrew to avoid antagonizing the protesters.
“This is our ministry,” the police shouted. They demanded better living conditions, but they also sought to absolve themselves of responsibility for an attempted crackdown by police in late January that killed many demonstrators. The anti-government crowds prevailed, and police vanished from the streets of Cairo for a time.
“All these orders were coming from senior leaders, this is not our fault,” Said Abdul-Rahim, a low-ranking officer, said.
“You have done this inhuman act,” a bystander said. “We no longer trust you.” Hearing the accusations, Abdul-Rahim broke down in tears.
“I didn’t do it,” he implored. “I didn’t do it.” The demonstrating police, whose force has been resented for corruption and brutality under a decades-old emergency law, appealed for solidarity with Egyptians whose protests forced Mubarak to resign on Friday.
“The people and the police are one hand,” they chanted, using an expression for unity.
The interior minister, Mahmoud Wagdy, recently installed as part of a Mubarak Cabinet shuffle during the unrest, emerged from the building to talk to the police. He said they had a right to be angry.
“Give me a chance,” he said.
In Tahrir Square, soldiers and military police took down makeshift tents, scuffles broke out with some young men who refused to leave. Many local residents shouted at the protesters that it was time to go.
The tension reflected the fragility of the situation as protesters press for a voice in guiding their country’s move to democracy. Egypt’s new military rulers promised Saturday to abide by the peace treaty with Israel and eventually hand power to an elected government, but many protesters worried long-sought reforms would be stalled if they give up.
The crowd on Tahrir Square was down from a peak of a quarter-million at the height of the demonstrations to a few thousand on Sunday. Most of those remaining were pushed to sidewalks and the streets were open to traffic for the first time in more than two weeks.
A coalition of youth and opposition groups that was the driving force of the movement pulled supporters from the streets, calling instead for weekly mass demonstrations every Friday to keep up pressure.
“It’s time we show that we trust the army,” said organizer Nasser Abdel-Hamid.
Ramy Mohammed, who has been camped on the square since the protests began on Jan. 25, said some troops beat the protesters with sticks as they tried to clear the square.
“We were chanting peacefully,” he said. “They wanted to remove the tents but we still need guarantees. The army’s latest statement was vague and didn’t tell us exactly what they are going to do.” The tense mood contrasted with Saturday, when thousands began cleaning rubble and garbage from the plaza.
With Mubarak gone, Egypt’s future will likely be shaped by three powers: the military, the protesters, and the sprawling infrastructure of Mubarak’s regime that remains in place, dominating the bureaucracy, the police, state media and parts of the economy.
The coalition behind the protests issued their first cohesive list of demands for handling the transition to democracy. Their focus was on ensuring they — not just the military or members of Mubarak’s regime — have a seat at the table in deliberations shaping the future.
Demands of protesters include lifting of the emergency law, which grants wide powers to the police and restricts the right to assemble; creation of a leadership council, made up of a military representative and two other figures of authority; dissolution of the parliament, which is dominated by the ruling party; and the formation of a committee to either amend or rewrite completely the constitution.
The Armed Forces Supreme Council is now the official ruler after Mubarak handed it power. It consists of the commanders of each military branch, the chief of staff and Defense Minister Hussein Tantawi.
The military took power after pleas from protesters, and it has promised to ensure democratic change, making it highly popular with the movement.
But there are doubts about the military’s commitment to true reform. It was tightly bound to Mubarak’s ruling system, and it has substantial economic interests, running businesses that it will likely seek to preserve.
The council of generals has said little about how the transition will be carried out, though it pledged on Saturday to respect Egypt’s regional and international agreements.
