After 18 days of protesting, millions of people took to the streets in Egypt to celebrate the new Egypt last Friday. Instead of just celebrating their victory over Mubarak, the people also wanted to remind the military to keep their promise of a quick transition to democracy. Yet the day was not all celebration – it was also a memorial to the 365 people who died during the uprising. People carried signs that said, “You are Egyptian – raise your head high” showing an outpour of national pride. Where the country goes next and the implications of the uprising are still up for question.

One man, who traveled to Cairo from Port Said, said about the revolution, “After today, it will be more than obvious to them that if they don’t protect the revolution and respond to the people’s demands, the next time people go down to Tahrir won’t be to celebrate victory, but they will bring their blankets with them like before.” This statement shows an overall feeling in the Middle East. They want change, and if promises are not kept, they will go back to protesting again.

The cabinet that they have in place is still largely that of Mubarak, and the citizens are expecting to have a reshuffle in the next few days. The people see these people as linked to corruption, greed, and violence, and they do not want them to be a part of their government any longer. Security officers said that the Prime Minister would announce the ministers making up the emergency government next week and hope that it will help appease protestors and workers on strike.

As for who will run the government, it is not sure, but a group called The Muslim Brotherhood, is in the lead. They are seen as the only organized block in Egypt, and warned of the needs to protect gains. They believe that they can win up to 30 percent of the votes. They are dedicated to democracy, and may be exactly what Egypt needs.

It is also important to note that not everyone was celebrating last week. While the masses were happy that Mubarak was out of power, 5,000 people gathered in another part of Cairo, chanting slogans of apology to him, saying they support the revolution but not the treatment of Mubarak. These pro-Mubarak supporters were encircled by troops for their protection.

As times of uncertainty come to Egypt, the people are still happy that they can live their lives more peacefully than before. It does not matter to them that they do not know where they will be six months down the road, but most of citizens of Egypt are happy about the changes.