APTOPIX Mideast Egypt
Egyptians wave to Egypt's President-elect, Mohammed Morsi, upon his arrival to give a speech at Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt, Friday, June 29, 2012....
Egyptians wave to Egypt's President-elect, Mohammed Morsi, upon his arrival to give a speech at Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt, Friday, June 29, 2012. In front of tens of thousands of cheering supporters, Egypt's first Islamist and civilian president-elect vowed that nobody can take away his authority and symbolically read an oath of office on the eve of his official inauguration. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
Mideast Egypt
Egypt's President-elect Mohammed Morsi talks to his supporters at Tahrir Square, the focal point of Egyptian uprising, in Cairo, Egypt, Friday, June ...
Egypt's President-elect Mohammed Morsi talks to his supporters at Tahrir Square, the focal point of Egyptian uprising, in Cairo, Egypt, Friday, June 29, 2012. In front of tens of thousands of cheering supporters, Egypt's first Islamist and civilian president-elect vowed that nobody can take away his authority and symbolically read an oath of office on the eve of his official inauguration. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)
Mideast Egypt
Egypt's President-elect Mohammed Morsi waves to supporters at Tahrir Square, the focal point of Egyptian uprising, in Cairo, Egypt, Friday, June 29, ...
Egypt's President-elect Mohammed Morsi waves to supporters at Tahrir Square, the focal point of Egyptian uprising, in Cairo, Egypt, Friday, June 29, 2012. In front of tens of thousands of cheering supporters, Egypt's first Islamist and civilian president-elect vowed that nobody can take away his authority and symbolically read an oath of office on the eve of his official inauguration. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)
Mideast Egypt
Egyptians wave from their balcony to Egypt's President-elect Mohammed Morsi, upon his arrival to give a speech at Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt, Frid...
Egyptians wave from their balcony to Egypt's President-elect Mohammed Morsi, upon his arrival to give a speech at Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt, Friday, June 29, 2012. In front of tens of thousands of cheering supporters, Egypt's first Islamist and civilian president-elect vowed Saturday that nobody can take away his authority and symbolically read an oath of office in Cairo's Tahrir Square on the eve of his official inauguration. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
Mideast Egypt
Egyptians climb a palm tree and a light pole to watch Egypt's President-elect Mohammed Morsi at Tahrir Square, the focal point of Egyptian uprising, ...
Egyptians climb a palm tree and a light pole to watch Egypt's President-elect Mohammed Morsi at Tahrir Square, the focal point of Egyptian uprising, during his speech in Cairo, Egypt, Friday, June 29, 2012. Egypt's newly elected president has read that oath of office in Tahrir Square packed with tens of thousands of Islamists chanting against the ruling military council. In a strong-worded speech that meant to assuage popular anger at the military generals, Morsi showed defiance attempts to chip away from his own presidential powers.(AP Photo/Amr Nabil)
Mideast Egypt
Egyptian republican guards stand guard as Egypt's President-elect Mohammed Morsi arrives to give a speech at Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt, Friday, J...
Egyptian republican guards stand guard as Egypt's President-elect Mohammed Morsi arrives to give a speech at Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt, Friday, June 29, 2012 Egypt's newly elected president has read that oath of office in Tahrir Square packed with tens of thousands of Islamists chanting against the ruling military council. In a strong-worded speech that meant to assuage popular anger at the military generals, Morsi showed defiance attempts to chip away from his own presidential powers.(AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
APTOPIX Mideast Egypt
Egypt's President-elect Mohammed Morsi waves to supporters after giving a speech at Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt, Friday, June 29, 2012. In front of...
Egypt's President-elect Mohammed Morsi waves to supporters after giving a speech at Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt, Friday, June 29, 2012. In front of tens of thousands of cheering supporters, Egypt's first Islamist and civilian president-elect vowed that nobody can take away his authority and symbolically read an oath of office on the eve of his official inauguration. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
The tens of thousands of Egyptians who packed Cairo's Tahrir Square this time did so not to protest, but to celebrate the country's first Islamist and civilian president-elect.
Mohammed Morsi, who won this month's runoff in the nation's first free presidential election, came to the epicenter of the Egyptian uprising to speak to his supporters and stake his claim to power in the country.
Addressing the packed square, Morsi struck a defiant tone, vowing to fight for his authority in the face of the country's ruling generals.
He spoke in a booming voice. He raised his hands to the swarming crowd. He stepped out boldly in front of the podium and opened his jacket to show he wasn't wearing a bulletproof vest, to show that he fears "no one but God."
The throngs of cheering supporters in the square raised their arms in triumph. They waved from balconies. They climbed palm trees to catch a glimpse of the man they had elected to lead the country.
