By Baylee Pulliam

“There are very few moments in our lives when we have the privilege to see history taking place,” said United States president Barack Obama in a televised address on Feb. 11. “This is one of those moments.”

Since Jan. 25, protesters had lined the streets of Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt, seeking the end of Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak’s 30-year presidency. In response to the ongoing protests, Mubarak resigned as president of Egypt on Feb. 11.

“By stepping down, Hosni Mubarak has responded to the Egyptian people’s hunger for change,” said Obama. “The Egyptians have made it clear that nothing less than genuine democracy will carry the day.”

Dr. Steven Myers, a professor of toxicology and pharmacology at the University of Louisville, recently returned from Egypt. He said that he is glad to see the change.

“It’s a good thing,” said Myers. “It’ll move the system forward. It just depends on who’s in charge now.”

According to Mubarak, governing power has been transferred to the Egyptian military. The Supreme Council of the Egyptian Armed Forces will serve in conjunction with the vice president, Omar Suleiman, as the heads of state. In September, Egyptians will vote in free elections to decide their new president.

Considering the many casualties and injuries involved in the protests to end Mubarak’s reign, there has been some media speculation as to if and how protesters will be punished by the new government. According to the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, peaceful protesters in Egypt will not be punished for their actions.

“The armed forces stress that there will be no detention of the honorable sons of the nation who rejected corruption and demanded reform,” reads a statement released by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces on Feb. 11.

However, in his resignation address, Mubarak said that those who had incited and participated in violent acts during the protests would not be excused

“All those that have fallen martyrs and injured, your blood will not go down the drain,” said Mubarak. “I will not relent to penalize those responsible.

According to Mubarak, committees have been formed with orders to investigate the violence in Tahrir Square between Jan. 25 and Feb. 11.

While Egyptians celebrate their independence, the world is seeing the ripple effects of the protests.

“What is at stake in Egypt is not about Egypt alone,” said U.S. vice president Joe Biden, in his speech at U of L on Feb. 11. “It will not affect Egypt alone.”

The effects of the Egyptian protests have been diverse.

Due to the high number of crude oil reserves in the Middle East, concerns arose during the protests that the price of gasoline might increase. The New York Mercantile Exchange value of crude oil, which soared to nearly $90 a barrel during the peak of protests, dropped $2.37 on Feb. 11, following Mubarak’s resignation.

The success of the protests has also had international political effects.

In the wake of the Tunisian protests, the Egyptians took to Tahrir Square. Two days after the beginning of protests in Egypt, citizens of Yemen began protesting to overthrow the 32-year rule of their president, Ali Abdullah Saleh

Some suggest that other Middle Eastern countries may follow. According to Biden, Iran may be next.

“Let your people march,” said Biden. “Let your people protest. Let your people speak.”

The U.S. government suggests that the world look to Egypt as an example.

“In these difficult times, I know that the Egyptian people will persevere,” reads a statement released by Obama. “And they must know that they will continue to have a friend in the United States of America.”

As for the coming days in Egypt, some have high hopes.

“Things look promising,” said Myers. “They’ve gotten what they want and now they’ve just got to figure out how to make it work.”