Two Egyptian students celebrated an historic day for their country at a rally in Canterbury yesterday.

Just hours after President Hosni Mubarak’s withdrawal from power, Sondos Arafa and Mostafa Osman joined a rally in Buttermarket Square.

It was originally billed as a protest gathering organised by the Stop The War Coalition, but instead it became a celebration following Mubarak’s decision to hand over control to the army on Friday afternoon after more than two weeks of anti-government protests.

Sondos, 19, originally from Alexandria and a law student at Kent University, was overwhelmed by the news.

She said: "This is such a magnificent day in Egypt’s history. I’m just ecstatic and so happy with everything that’s happened.

"Life is just so positive now and there’s hope for the country. I still go back there every Christmas to visit friends and family and I was there just before the protests began."

Mostafa, also 19, added: "I’m just so happy because Mubarak was a dictator, a man who should have been removed from power many years ago and finally today the dream has come true.

"I went to school in Cairo with a lot of sons and daughters of the regime, so there’s a close connection for me. Similar protests in Tunisia before this really brought home what could be achieved.

"Hopefully democracy can continue now all across the Middle East."