Delight as Mubarak swept from power

CRIES of “Egypt is free” rang out and fireworks lit up the sky over Cairo’s Tahrir Square last night where hundreds of thousands celebrated the fall of President Hosni Mubarak.

Egyptians danced, wept and prayed in joyful pandemonium after 18 days of mass pro-democracy protests forced Mubarak to hand over power to the military, ending three decades of authoritarian rule.

Protesters hoisted soldiers onto their shoulders and families posed for pictures in front of tanks in streets flooded with residents of the capital of 18 million people streaming out to celebrate. Strangers hugged strangers. Chants of “Hold your heads high, you’re Egyptian” echoed.