Hundreds of Coptic Christians protested Tuesday evening outside the Alexandria library condemning the church burning in the town of Edfu, in the Aswan governorate in Upper Egypt. The protest coincided with a larger one outside the National Radio and Television building, or Maspero building, in Cairo, where thousands of Copts marched through downtown and started an open-ended sit-in in front of the building. Several Coptic movements participated in the protest including the Maspero Youth Union and the Egyptian Center for Developmental Studies among other groups. The protesters chanted “hold your head high, you are a Copt” and “We want our rights.” The protesters demanded the resignation of the Aswan governor and called for those responsible for starting the clashes in Aswan to be held responsible. The clashes erupted Friday when a group of Muslim men surrounded a small church in Edfu, Aswan, and demanded it be shut down. A number of them set part of the building on fire and a number of homes and shops owned by Copts were attacked. They demanded that the state rebuild the church and pay compensation for the losses. BM
