Protests push on for a third day in Cairo's Tahrir Square.

Early Monday morning, demonstrators set up barriers to close all routes leading to the central square in the Egyptian capital - and are calling for a new uprising.

Thousands began massing here on Saturday after the verdicts were read in the trials of Hosni Mubarak, his two sons, former Interior Minister Habib al-Adli, and a number of other officials affiliated with the ousted government.

Mubarak and Adli were sentenced to life in prison for their part in the deaths of hundreds of protesters last year.

But his two sons Gamal and Alaa were acquitted; so were the officials.

(SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) DEMONSTRATOR, HAZEM TOBGY, SAYING:

"It is not a fair sentence, the criminals have been acquitted and we are all unhappy about this."

The verdicts come amid a presidential election that has left many outraged - pitting Mubarak's last prime minister Ahmed Shafiq against the Muslim Brotherhood's Mohamed Mursi in a runoff set for June 16 and 17.

And as the world cheers Egypt's first free and fair vote - many here question how a former Mubarak man appears likely to take over as Egypt's next leader.

Travis Brecher, Reuters