Euphoric crowds of several thousand people have gathered in Zimbabwe's capital to demand the departure of President Robert Mugabe after nearly four decades in power.

In a colorful gathering that even days ago would have drawn an immediate police crackdown, Zimbabweans giddy with joy raced through intersections, raising their arms in triumph. Young men shouted, laughed and embraced.

Some had posters with an image of the military commander who swept in earlier this week and put Mugabe under house arrest, with the slogan: "Go, go, our general!!!" Marchers handed flags to soldiers, who accepted and waved.

"It's like Christmas," said one marcher, Fred Mubay, who said Zimbabweans have been suffering for a long time.

The 93-year-old Mugabe, the world's oldest head of state, is said to be asking for more time amid negotiations with regional leaders that seek his exit with a veneer of dignity.

But he is virtually powerless and deserted by most of his allies, with others arrested, and the crowds in Harare on Saturday were making it clear the country was impatient to move on without him.

Even as concerns remained about who next would be in charge and what freedoms might be available if the military lingered in power - or if Mugabe's longtime but recently fired deputy led a new government - people reveled in the rare chance to speak out.