Hundreds of pro-democracy protesters gathered in Cairo's iconic Tahrir Square Saturday night to commemorate those killed in the uprising that toppled former President Hosni Mubarak.

Some in the crowd sang patriotic songs, waved Egyptian flags and held a candlelight vigil to remember the dead. Others held photographs of family members and friends who were killed in the political upheaval, deadly clashes and sectarian violence.

Some demonstrators also renewed calls for the ruling military council that took power following Mr. Mubarak's resignation in February, to speed up their plans to transfer power to a civilian government. The military is overseeing a three-month parliamentary election process and has promised to hand power to an elected president by July 2012.

But some activists accuse the council of manipulating the country's transition process to retain permanent powers and have called for a presidential vote as early as January.

Earlier this week, Egypt resumed the trial of the former president after a three-month break. Mr. Mubarak is charged with involvement in the killings of more than 800 people during the anti-government protests that forced him from office in February. His co-defendants include his two sons, his former interior minister and six senior security officers.