Egypt: Dance Dance Revolution (big photo gallery)

This is what hope looks like: massive celebrations at the end of an historic day in Egypt, as captured in photographs.

Demonstrators celebrate inside Tahrir Square after the announcement of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's resignation in Cairo on February 11, 2011. Egypt's Vice President Omar Suleiman said on Friday that Mubarak had bowed to pressure from the street and had resigned, handing power to the army, he said in a televised statement.

More images below.

(Images: REUTERS. Photographers: Dylan Martinez, Goran Tomasevic, Asmaa Waguih, Yannis Behrakis, Suhaib Salem, Amr Dalsh, Luke MacGregor )

• [Bob Stanley]

  It’s Halalapalooza!

• [Anonymous]

  Now if they can toss CIA-tool Suleiman out, they’ll be on to something really big.

• [Nicky G]

  It is simply impossible for me to look at these types of pictures from Egypt and not just instantly tear up and have a massive shit-eating grin appear on my face. It’s a blessing to be able to share the joy of the Egyptian people at such a time. I pity those who face Egypt’s future with fear rather than hope.

• [BB]

  Stunning photojournalism. and

  Congratulations people of Egypt!

• [Anonymous]

  I am very happy for and hopeful for Egypt. I just have to wonder, because he is so corrupt and power drunk, whether it is just a ruse and he will continue to pull the strings of whatever puppet regime takes his place in the public eye. He had too long to plan it out. I don’t believe he’s off to Elba.

• [Anonymous]

  And not one port-a-potty.

• [Anonymous]

  why are so many of the protesters seemingly separated by gender? are women protesting in a different area than the men, or does it just look that way in the photos?

• [Anonymous]

  Great pictures!
  Best wishes to the people of egypt, your courage was tremendous and you have shown one thing to the whole world: Nothing and nobody can withstand the power of a million people standing together!

• [mindysan33]

  These are beautiful! Although I recognize that uncertainty that faces the Egyptian people now, it I still can’t help but be moved by these photos of joy. I hope their future is just as joyous…

• [turbokoala]

  Great, inspiring photographs. This revolution should be a lesson to the rest of the world.

• [Manooshi]

  *crying*

  I lived in Cairo for two years, and I’m sooo happy for the Egyptian people. I wish I could be with my brave Egyptian friends who persevered/protested, helped provide food/medical supplies, and who are now partying it up in Tahrir Square!

  HORIYYEH!!! (Freedom!)

  Two down. 20 more to go. Fuck you Skykes-Picot and Uncle Sam. Your colonial, undemocratic, and hypocritical divide and rule days are hopefully finally coming to an end for the entire Middle East. Since World War I all the Arabs have wanted is freedom. Fuckin’ A!

• [Anonymous]

  what hope for economic equity looks like

• [chumpmeat]

  What beautiful pictures. Congratulations, Egypt! Fantastic news and a great day for humanity and freedom. I just can’t stop grinning when I look at these.

• [Anonymous]

  What beautiful pictures. Congratulations, Egypt!

• [tim]

  A (more or less, thankfully) bloodless revolution is a hopeful thing but what happens next is the truly important part. Getting rid of a bad regime leaves you with the urgent need to find a *good* one. I’m having trouble thinking of any government currently around that would qualify.

• [Jenonymous]

  I had the occasion to take a cab tonite here in NYC at rush hour, in a fruitless attempt to get uptown and across town on a Friday night. Bored, I asked the cabbie what he though of today.

  He wheeled around as we idled in the jam: “Thank you miss! I am Egyptian, you know!…” He went on to say how proud he was, and how he never thought he would live to see today, and how “Murabak has all the money…Egypt is a rich country, but he has all the money…he make it impossible to even do anything, have a job, go to market to even get food, even buy bread…people leave the country car full of cash to leave…nobody saw this, not even America, not even ISRAELI intelligence (said with emphasis)….”

  “…Now the whole world look to Egypt, our money up on stock market today, this is how it should be. Not just poor people, not just religious, EVERYONE wanted this!”

  “So it’s a pluralistic revolution?” I said.

  “Yes, Yes!!” he said, grinning. “Everyone. Even rich people wanted this. We all want.”

  “If only one guy in revolution, then the same, nothing changes,” he went on. “Just another Mubarak. But now ALL the people want, not just one person or one party! We want free parliment elections with everyone saying!!!”

  FWIW, I also live close to “Little Egypt” in Queens, where much of the same opinions were featured on local news.

  This may just work, folks…fingers crossed.

  I mean, what hope does Al-Quaeda have if they see a PLURALISTIC, populist Egypt suddenly became the Germany of the Middle East? AQ would be fucked, Hamas would be fucked (especially as half the population of Palestine would go to the new Egypt for jobs), Iran would be fucked ,and even the good ol’ “Friends and Allies” of the US Saudi Arabia would be truly and profoundly fucked.

• [Jack]

  Pretty amazing. I have good feelings about this. If the military were going to crack down on their own people it would have happened by now. I don’t think they will suddenly become thugs now. Will be interesting to see how the police react and how the military responds.

  And here is a video of Egyptian journalist Mona Eltahawy crying with joy about this:
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFED8wBJXeU

• [das memsen]

  Just as long as the U.S. isn’t able to get their little puppet in there, things might actually have a chance of improving. What’s that about “absolute power corrupts..?”

• [igpajo]

  Thankfully this revolution was televised!! It was a beautiful thing!

• [Michael]

  The last month has read just like a Kim Stanley Robinson future.

  This is the twenty-first century I signed up for, dammit. I’ve got tears in my eyes from these pictures – last time the news did this to me was all those pictures of happily married couples in California.

  Now let’s get on towards Mars, shall we?

  • [aceofgreendiamonds]

    Hell yes, bring on Blue Mars!

    Egyptians are officially the baddest-ass mf’s on the planet today. Congratulations, you deserve your joy, we are joyous for you!

• [Anonymous]

  good luck, egypt. it’s not the end at all. it has to be the beginning.

  .~.

• [Anonymous]

  To #16:
  I don’t think you are right. There is no (more) seperation by gender, and that’s truly amazing. In german TV there was an interview yesterday with a Cairo citizen (Muslim too), who said he sees woman with different eyes and more respect now, because he has seen them protesting side by side with their men.
  And if you need pictures to believe, look at the 5th picture up above (the man with the flag of Egypt on his face) and compare it to picture 27 (there he is again) in this gallery:
  http://www.focus.de/politik/ausland/aegypten-ein-volk-jubelt-und-raeumt-auf_did_33136.html
  (maybe this direct link works as well: http://p4.focus.de/img/gen/g/1/HBg1z6gu_Pxgen_r_Ax354.jpg)
  You see, it’s just a matter of perspective.