CAIRO: A third day of protests broke out Sunday as hundreds of demonstrators gathered in front of Qena's main buildings to oppose the nomination of new governor. Thousands rallied in front of the Abderrahim al-Qenawy mosque as Mojor General Emad Shehata Mikhail, a Coptic Christian, was sworn in as governor by Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, head of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), to oppose the nomination. Protesters prevented employees from entering the governatorate's buildings and blocked highways and railways leading into town, demanding that the appointment be reversed. Mikhail is one of several new governors nominated by Prime Minister Essam Sharaf and the SCAF to replace 18 local authorities considered as still loyal to the ousted regime. The decision was taken in a bid to appease requests from protesters in Cairo's Tahrir Square in early April. Salafi movements and members of the Muslim Brothers took part in the rally, saying Mikhail is no different from his predecessor Magdy Ayoub, whose administration reportedly failed to address poverty and unemployment, raising sectarian violence in the province. Protesters have threatened to expand protests and stage a sit-in in front of the governors' building. Some have menaced Mikhail with death, were he to make it to the building. State owned newspaper Al-Ahram reported Qena members of the January 25 Revolution rallied against Mikhail as well, while witnesses say some Coptic Christians also demonstrated. “They are acting as though Qena province has been allocated to Christian officials. If a Christian was to be appointed to another province, there is nothing wrong with that,” lawyer and Qena resident Hassan Maged told Reuters. Demonstrators chanted slogans against the new Governor, including the “Mikhail's nomination is invalid and we do not want him.” The Muslim Brotherhood (MB) has also condemned Mikhail's nomination, admitting that it fails to show a real change. The MB warned against the rise of sectarian violence in Qena governatorate. Six Coptic Christians were killed in a shooting in Nagaa Hamady on Coptic Christmas Eve by Muslims blaming Christians for the rape of a Muslim girl, last January. BM
