On April 16, 2011, 18 new governors were appointed by the head of the Supreme Council of Armed Forces. In Qena, Egyptians protested against the newly appointed Coptic governor ‘Imād Shihātah Michael, who replaced the former governor Majdī Ayūb, who was also a Copt. Demonstrators, who are mainly Salafīs and members of the Muslim Brotherhood as well as the January 25th Youth Coalition,  accuse Michael of being part of the old Mubārak regime and call for a Muslim governor to replace him. Copts prefer a Muslim governor over newly arising sectarian clashes in Qena.

Demonstrations against new governors also broke out in the Delta Governorate.