A few days after returning to classes for the second semester, students at Egypt's public universities have started massive protests against the administrators [In the headline by 'Sir' they mean the administrators of the universities] of their institutions, demanding they be sacked for being part of the regime of ousted President Husnī Mubārak.

In a bid to press for their demands, students from five public and three private universities have declared forming a pro-reform group. The group demands free elections of principals of universities and deans of faculties.

For more than 50 years presidents of public universities in Egypt have been directly appointed by the head of state.