Political Clashes and Vow of Appeal in Mubarak Verdict CAIRO - Egypt's military-led government said Sunday that it would appeal the weak verdicts delivered by a court on Saturday against former President Hosni Mubarak, his sons and top security officials of his government - verdicts that have intensified the polarization gripping Egypt two weeks before the runoff to decide Egypt's first competitive presidential race. Thousands of protesters poured into the streets of Cairo and other cities for a second night on Sunday to vent their anger at the decision. Mohamed Morsi, the presidential candidate of the Muslim Brotherhood, stood with the protesters and sought to turn the runoff election into a retrial for the Mubarak government, pledging to press new charges against Mr. Mubarak if he is elected. His opponent, Ahmed Shafik, Mr. Mubarak's last prime minister, lashed back on Sunday in a sweeping attack on the Brotherhood, charging that the group was out for "revenge" against the former Mubarak government, that it used to collaborate with that government in secret deals, and that it now represented "chaos." In a cafe full of committed Shafik supporters in the Delta town of Sindion, 30 miles from the capital, the prevailing view was as different from that in Tahrir Square as if a different verdict had come down: a chorus of Shafik voters called the decision a fair rebuke to the excesses of the Mubarak government that ought to close the books on it. "We should respect the rule of law," said Oudo Mohamed Hassan, 60, the owner of a small leather factory. We should move on, and look after our own interests. The verdict seemed to mirror the tortured, half-fulfilled political transition that began with Mr. Mubarak's ouster: At the same time that Judge Ahmed Rafaat pronounced Mr. Mubarak guilty as an accessory to the murder of protesters, he declared that the case included no evidence that Mr. Mubarak had ordered the killings. Instead, the judge found Mr. Mubarak and his former interior minister, Habib el-Adly, guilty of failing to stop the police from killing demonstrators, and acquitted a half-dozen officials lower in the chain of command who had more direct responsibility. The judge also dismissed corruption charges against Mr. Mubarak and his sons on the ground that a statute of limitations had lapsed. M. Cherif Bassiouni, an Egyptian-American expert on Egyptian law at DePaul University, compared the outcome to the proverbial glass half full. After a peaceful revolt, a ruler resigned, his citizens tried him, and on Saturday he was sent to prison. "The half empty part is that, ultimately, he is not going to hang for it, and I don't think he is going to spend 30 days in jail," Mr. Bassiouni added. "There is no basis in Egyptian law" for the conviction that was handed down, he said, and it would be easy for the defense to overturn on appeal. As for the prosecution's chances of winning a tougher verdict on appeal, he said, "It can't." Mr. Mubarak, 84, woke up Sunday morning inside the Tora Prison for the first time. As if to drive home the depth of his fall, Egyptian state news media published extensive details of his first night behind bars. The state newspaper Al Ahram reported that after the verdict, Mr. Mubarak was shocked at his transfer from more comfortable accommodations at a military hospital to the prison. As soon as he found out that he was at the Tora Prison, the newspaper said, Mr. Mubarak began complaining of health problems. He refused for two and a half hours to leave the helicopter that carried him. He was issued a blue jumpsuit, but because of his health, he did not immediately pose for the customary mug shot holding his prison number. But when his sons, Gamal and Alaa - also prisoners - were brought, Mr. Mubarak's condition improved, the paper said. Under new pressure because of the protests, Mr. Shafik took a cue from his former boss and fired back with a speech about the dangers of what he said would be radical religious rule by the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's largest Islamist group. "I represent national reconciliation, and the Brothers represent revenge," he said. I represent stability, and they represent chaos. He added that Islamist rule would take Egypt "back to the ages of darkness and ignorance." Mayy El Sheikh and Liam Stack contributed reporting.