Jubilant crowds remain as Egypt looks toward future

Cairo, Egypt (CNN) -- For the first time in nearly three decades, Hosni Mubarak was no longer president when dawn broke in Egypt on Saturday.

The iron-fisted leader's rule ended when he stepped down and handed over power to the country's military Friday. Fireworks shot out over Tahrir Square. Revelers waving Egyptian flags flooded the streets of Cairo.

A large crowd remained in Tahrir Square on Saturday morning, euphoric over the power of 18 days of largely peaceful protests to topple the country's longstanding government.

A front-page headline in the state-run Al Ahram newspaper, previously a mouthpiece for Mubarak, heralded the change Saturday: "The people have brought down the regime."

Crews collected garbage and towed away burned cars that had been used as barricades as clean-up efforts began in the area in and around the square.

But some demonstrators remained, pledging to continue to protest "until Egypt is ruled by a civil government, not a military one."

Analysts cautioned that the protest movement's biggest challenges lie in the days ahead as the thrill of revolution dies down and the reality of rebuilding a country sets in.Read More