"The revolution in Egypt is not over. It has hardly begun," writes Omeya El Naggar in an article titled "Will Egypt's Arab Spring Turn Into an Arab Nightmare." Egypt's Tahrir Square looked like a nightmare today, ten months after protests brought down Hosni Mubarak's regime, as clashes between protestors and police continued for a third consecutive day. Al Jazeera reports that 33 people have been killed and over 1,500 injured since Saturday. 

Thousands of protestors gathered in Tahrir Square, the symbolic epicenter of the Arab Spring, to demand the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) swiftly transfer power to a civilian authority and to protect their revolution from what they say is an attempt to hijack it. Parliamentary elections are scheduled to start on November 28, but presidential elections won’t be held until a new constitution is written, which could take up to a year. In the meantime, executive powers would remain with the army. 

According to the Cairo daily Al Masry al Youm, protestors were using firebombs and shotgun pellets against the police. At a brief news conference, a representative of the military, General Said Abbas, said that the security forces had not initiated any violence and had only defended themselves. This video however, shows police officers beating lifeless bodies and dragging others by their hair across the square. One activist tweeted, "There are protestors writing phone numbers on their arms so that in case they're killed their family members can be contacted. #Tahrir." Al Jazeera's Rawya Rageh said the clashes were "very intense, with the people on the street telling us…that the military has shown its true colors."

In the face of such bloody protests, interim Prime Minsiter Essam Sharaf and his cabinet submitted their collective resignation. However, the military council reportedly announced they will not accept the resignation until Egyptian political forces decide on a replacement prime minister.  

In an article titled "Cairo Jumps the Rails," Marc Lynch says, "Now is a time for the Egyptian political elite to unify -- Islamist and non-Islamist, elite and popular -- around clear demands for a speedy political transition to civilian rule. Protestors, bloody and mourning their dead, will not be satisfied with minor political concessions." Others say it is easier said than done. In an increasingly heated and complex political climate, Al Ahram’s Elias Harfoush argues that "the ongoing competition…over the inheritance of Mubarak's regime has its justifications…Mubarak's absence has left a great vacuum  in the prime seat of power in the largest [and most populated] Arab country." In other words, the stakes are high. 

As over 20,000 protestors filled Tahrir Square on Monday night, activists are calling for a "million man march" on Tuesday to call for a new civilian government and national unity.  

Egypt: Prime Minister Essam Sharaf has made significant changes to his Cabinet to placate those accusing the new government of being slow at implementing reforms. However, protestors do not see the reshuffle as sufficient and continue to protest against the government. Egyptian state-run television reported that preparatory work will start on September 18 for the Egyptian parliamentary elections, which were recently postponed to November.

Bahrain: Leading opposition group al-Wefaq National Islamic Society announced its withdrawal from Bahrain’s national dialogue. It attributed the withdrawal to Manama’s failure to accept any of al-Wefaq's reform proposals, including initiatives for a constitutional monarchy, an elected government, and for drafting a constitution. Bashra al-Hindi, a member of al-Wefaq's dialogue delegation said, "The existing administration [does] not care for a real dialogue." Three other opposition groups said they may also pull out of the talks.

Tunisia: Prime Minister Beji Caid Essebsi said violence in the country is aimed at preventing elections from taking place. He warned that extremist political groups are trying to derail the date of the elections but confirmed that they will be held on October 23, as scheduled. Tunisia's recent protests led to the death of one person during a wave of riots that swept the capital Tunis and a number of other cities.

Syria: Syrian security forces continue their military operations in cities and town throughout the country. According to the Syrian Coordination Committees, ten people died in the al-Khalidiya region in Homs when a funeral was targeted by gunfire. The crackdown led to the deaths of several of people, including a 12-year-old boy, and to the injury of dozens. This military escalation was met with massive demonstrations in a number of areas as part of what was named the Tuesday of "Nashama al-Furat" by the Syrian opposition.

(Al Jazeera English Headlines: 0600 PST, March 4, 2011) In Libya, rebel fighters are continuing to take on Colonel Gaddafi's security forces in towns across the country. Fresh fighting has erupted in the western towns of Az Zawiyah and Misurata, and there are reports of anti-government protests in the capital Tripoli.

And after Friday prayers there have been more protests calling for change across the Arab world, including demonstrations in Egypt, Iraq, and Yemen.