Over a million people gathered in Cairo’s Tahrir square on Tuesday for a general strike calling for President Hosni Mubarak to step down. The Army reportedly stood by, having essentially thrown their support behind the protesters on Monday after announcing they would not use force against them. While soldiers did check people for weapons and identity papers as they entered the square, the army stated that they are “acknowledging the legitimate rights of the people.” During the general strike, protesters held a mock trial and hung effigies of Mubarak. Barbed wire has reportedly been placed by military police around Mubarak’s suburban residence east of Cairo. Similar protests were held in other cities across the country, including Alexandria and Suez, with over 250,000 people gathering in the city of Sinai. After seven days of clashes between protestors and police that have killed at least150 people, state television has begun broadcasting footage of the demonstrations while still emphasizing the damaging effects protests are having on the Egyptian economy. The IMF has announced that it is prepared to implement an economic rebuilding policy for the country. Protest organizers have called for the general strike to last indefinitely, until Mubarak steps down.