Egypt’s interim prime minister Essam Sharaf prayed at Kotb Mosque in Qena along with hundreds of people, who warmly received him before calling for the reappointment of Adel Labib as governor of the Upper Egyptian city.

Qena was disrupted by protests upon the appointment of Emad Shehata Mikhail, a Copt and former head of police in Giza, Cairo, as governor. As part of the protests, streets and railway tracks were blocked, stopping trains from entering and leaving the city.

Sharaf responded to the calls of the residents by freezing the activity of Mikhail for three months on April 25. Secretary-general of the Qena governorate, Maged Abdel Kareem, assumed the governor's responsibilities till further notice.

Major General Labib, who also served as mayor of Alexandria, is believed to have been an admirable figure since his previous tenure as Qena governor.

Some people held aloft banners and placards that read: “Adel Labib is a popular demand”.