Egypt LiveBlog: One Week Later....

A montage of events in and around Tahrir Square in Cairo over the last seven days

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1959 GMT: Despite concessions, speeches, and a new prime minister, this is the scene in Tahrir Square, Cairo, this evening, as thousands remain to protest:

1954 GMT: Egypt's new prime minister will have more power than his predecessor, a concession to the protesters, perhaps, but will it be enough to alleviate their fears and frustrations?

Kamal el-Ganzouri, 78, served as prime minister between 1996 and 1999 and was deputy prime minister and planning minister before that. He also was a provincial governor under the late President Anwar Sadat.

In a televised statement, he said the military has given him greater powers than his predecessor and he wouldn't have accepted the job if he believed military ruler Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi had any intention of staying in power.

"The powers given to me exceed any similar mandates," he said, looking uncomfortable, grasping for words and repeatedly pausing as he spoke. "I will take full authority so I'm able to serve my country."

He also said he won't be able to form a government before parliamentary elections start on Monday.

1855 GMT: In Alexandria, teargas and rubber-coated steel bullets have been fired at thousands of protesters, as a day of relatively peaceful protests is dissolving there. Al Jazeera has shown live images of the clashes, and posts this screen shot:

1845 GMT: James Miller takes the liveblog. Al Jazeera measures the response of the people in Tahrir Square of the naming of Kamal al-Ganzouri, another former Mubarak official:

Meanwhile, Presidential candidate Mohamed ElBaradei was mobbed with supporters when he visited Tahrir Square, though he was not the only one. Members of the youth also passed out flyers featuring candidates Abdel Moneim Abol Fotoh and Hossam Essa. The Guardian reports:

People in Tahrir Square are being asked to name their choices for a new civilian presidential council, with three names suggested - Mohamed ElBaradei, Abdel Moneim Abol Fotoh and Hossam Essa - Egypt.com reports.

"The youth distributed thousands of forms with the three nominated names among demonstrators. Another form for collecting signatures was distributed, each form including [room for] 20 signatures with ID number, phone number and political affiliation beside every signature. The form has a blank space to vote one of the nominees as president of the council.

"The referendum provided civilians the chance to add the name of any public figure for the People's Assembly membership, omit anyone of the three proposed names, or refuse them completely.

"The referendum aims to bring figures with credibility from the Egyptian streets to authority and to appoint them spokespeople of the revolution."

ElBaradei is a Nobel laureate and former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency. He was mobbed by supporters when he arrived in Tahrir Square to pray this afternoon.

Abdel Moneim Abul Fotouh, who served as general secretary of the Arab Medical Association, was a prominent member of the Muslim Brotherhood but was expelled this year for refusing to end his independent presidential ambitions (the Muslim Brotherhood announced it would not field a presidential candidate to try to assuage secular concerns). Abol Fotoh was considered the leader of a more liberal group within the Brotherhood.

Essa is a veteran law professor who was a member of the legal committee to recover the wealth of Egyptians allegedly plundered by the Mubaraks.

1450 GMT: Comparing anti and pro-SCAF protesters here: 

Anti-SCAF protest in Tahrir today [h/t Ramy Yaacoub]: 

Pro-SCAF protest in Abbasiya which according to the Egyptian state TV is at least one million strong, while reporters on the ground are disputing those numbers and claiming that there may be just a few thousand there: 

1435 GMT: In a new statement today, the April 6th Movement has rejected the appointment of Kamal Ganzouri as prime minister and is now demanding that a national unity government be formed, according to Egyptian Arabic website Al-Dustour. 

Tahrir Square now has posters of a cop hung for identification who reportedly got props for shooting protesters in the eye. Here's the poster [h/t TamerELG]: 

Egypt's 6th of April movement rejects appointment of PM Ganzouri, demand a national unity govt bit.ly/vAmitU Arabic - Dustour[11/25/11 8:04:36 AM] Scott Lucas: Muslim Brotherhood statement re elections and events in Tahrir on.fb.me/tlCUYm #egypt

1420 GMT: In his first speech on state TV after his appointment, Prime Minister Kamal Ganzouri announced that he is different from other prime minister in that he will have more powers. He added that his main priority at the moment was serving the interests of Egypt and that time will be needed to understand what the country needed for him to fulfill those needs. He also made it clear that SCAF head Tantawi had told him he had no wish to stay in power. He said that the new cabinet will be announced after the elections as there was no time for him to complete that task in just a few days. 

1355 GMT: A new statement supposedly from the Muslim Brotherhood in the form of a pamphlet is being distributed in Cairo. The pamphlet reads: 

We put the greater interest of the nation ahead of our own interest. We aren't taking care of a personal interest, if we were we'd have gone to Tahrir. The elections are the best way to break the deadlock.

Meanwhile, reports from Cairo indicate that MB candidates are continuing their campaigns for the upcoming election. Elizabeth Arrott of VOA tweets: 

Even as rival protests go on, candidates out on the stump in #cairo Muslim brotherhood candidate draws decent crowd kuba gardens. #Tahrir

1340 GMT: Brookings Institute MidEast Fellow Shadi Hamid tweets from the pro-SCAF rally in Abbasiya: 

Pro-SCAF protesters now chanting "they're 1 million, we're 80 million." Wow, these guys definitely need some help in the chant dept. 

At pro-SCAF rally, military helicopter passes by, crowd breaks out into deafening applause, with everyone waving egyptian flags. 

This is one of the most purely reactionary protests I've ever seen. 

Wow, was just kicked out of pro-SCAF rally in Abbasiya. Crowd surrounded me & ushered me out. 2 guys told me never to come back. 

At pro-SCAF rally, asked cpl ppl why they dont like Baradei. They went berserk. One guy said he'd die before letting Baradei be PM 

One lady started shouting, "he's not egyptian, he's not egyptian." Crowd came. They started chanting pro-army slogans in my face. 

At pro-SCAF rally, tried to engage w- protesters. My arabic is accented, so aroused their suspicion. One guy called me "ameel" (spy) 

1320 GMT: Amid news that newly-appointed prime minister, Kamal Ghanzoury, will be holding a news conference shortly, there is more from the pro-SCAF rally in Abbasiya. It's quite evidence that Mubarak's failing tactics have been almost fully adopted by SCAF. Crowds there are chanting, "The people want the removal of Tahrir!" and "The people want the field marshal [Tantawi] to stay]".

1305 GMT: Blogger and activist Arabist has done a wonderful job of laying out where candidates and parties stand when it comes to the elections and SCAF in Egypt right now. Here it is: 

1245 GMT: Activist Wael Ghonim, a prominent figure in the challenge to the Mubarak regime, wears a patch in sympathy with those who have recently lost eyes from the live fire of security forces:

1145 GMT: A man stands on a lamppost above the Tahrir Square crowd:

And this is how State TV is portraying events, trying to show parity betweeen Tahrir Square and, on the right, a smaller pro-regime rally:

1135 GMT: In Cairo, the area near Mohamed Mahmoud Street, just off Tahrir Square, is now packed with protesters. They chant, "The people are a red line", "Down with military rule", and "Tantawi [the head of the ruling military council] has gone crazy and now wants to be President".

Thousands of protesters gathered in Alexandria before Al-Qaed Ibrahim Mosque and are now marching on the Northern Military Zone near Sidi Gaber. Hundreds have protested in the Delta city of Tanta.

1125 GMT: Friday Prayers in Tahrir Square:

As the Prayers end, the unified chants ring out, "The people demand the removal of the field marshal [the head of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, Mohamed Hussein Tantawi]" and "We will not go, he [Tantawi] should go".

1045 GMT: A photograph, posted an hour ago, of Tahrir Square in Cairo this morning:

0905 GMT: Anthony Shadid profiles the demonstrators in Egypt, "In Cairo, Reflection as Revolt Pivots Again":

“We broke them on Jan. 25,” said Ahmed Abdel-Galil, a 21-year-old student, referring to the date that Egypt’s revolution began. “And they still think they can put a boot on our neck.”

“There has to be revenge,” he added.

0605 GMT: Thousands of demonstrators remained in Tahrir Square overnight as the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces tried to put a political bandage on the injuries of the last week.

The military rulers declared, via Facebook, "its regrets and deep apologies for the deaths of martyrs from among Egypt's loyal sons during the recent events", as it appointed Kamal Ganzouri as Prime Minister.

Neither step is likely to ease tensions. The SCAF's denial that it had fired on any protesters during this week's battles was treated with immediate scepticism, as it was reported that the leaders --- again via Facebook -=-- were also calling on "loyal" Egyptians to report those who had committed "crimes". And Ganzouri, named after others were said to have walked away from the Premiership, is tarnished for many as a member of the old regime: he was Prime minister from 1996 to 1999 in the Mubarak era.

0555 GMT: One week ago, tens of thousands of Egyptians answered the call of political groups and activists to come to Tahrir Square in Cairo and show their dissatisfaction with the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces. The rally after Friday Prayers was loud, but almost all people dispersed by evening. Attention, it seemed, would turn to the Parliamentary elections beginning on 28 November.

That night someone within the Egyptian regime decided the square had to be clear of a group of protesters who had decided to sit in. The ensuring violence by security forces would spark demonstrations and clashes that, for many, have rivalled those of the uprising that brought down President Hosni Mubarak in February.

Today tens of thousands --- how many tens of thousands? --- will try to return to Tahrir. In this case, however, the leading call will not be that of the political groups, some of whom are participating in Monday's election. Instead, many of the people will return because of their renewed motives --- anger, frustration, dare one say hope? --- for change, however generally defined that change may be at the moment.