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Outraged Copts to maintain sit-in despite Pope's plea With their demands still to be met, protesters outside Maspero vow to continue their sit-in in defiance of the Coptic Patriarch's request that they go home
Coptic protesters have refused to end their sit-in in Maspero outside the State Radio and Television building, despite Pope Shenouda's request that they go home. Today is the eighth day of the sit-in prompted by the attack on Copts and two churches in Imbaba on 7 May. Twelve were killed and more than two hundred injured during the sectarian violence. Another attack on the sit-in late last night added fuel to the fire, leaving the protesters more frustrated and resolute to keep pursuing their demands. Andrawes Eiweda, a member of the political office of the Maspero Youth, told Ahram Online: “People are determined to stay put in spite of Pope Shenouda's request. “It's illogical to leave without having any of your demands fulfilled. We were brutally attacked and many of us were wounded for the sake of what we have been after, we cannot just walk away now. “People here respect Pope Shenouda a lot but they will not respond to what he said.” Romani Sedrak, another member of the political office, confirmed that protesting Christians are staying put. “Seniors of the sit-in have just met and decided that it must remain as it is,” he said to Ahram Online. A huge number of thugs had reportedly attacked Copts late last night, which caused tens of serious injuries. Among the demands of protesters in Maspero is for the release of all Copts detained either in Imbaba during the violence or while seeking treatment in hospitals afterwards. They are also demanding for the re-opening of closed investigation files of all sectarian attacks against Christians in the past few years.
