Around 30,000 salafists gathered in front the Coptic Cathedral in Cairo, calling for freeing of Kāmīliyā Shihātah and any other Copts who, according to them, have converted to Islam and were locked inside the monastery.

The military police surrounded the Coptic cathedral to prevent any possible physical attacks on it.

Pope Shenouda refused to take any action against them and he just said "God, who are in heaven, watch over us and the armed forces, on earth, protect us."

[Reviewer's Note: News story was also covered in al-Shurūq al-Jadīd, page 2, April 30, 2011, al-Wafd, page 3, April 30, 2011, al-Dustūr, page 1, April 30, 2011; and al-Ahrār, page 1, April 30, 2011]