In the coastal city of Alexandria, popular efforts continued to confront thuggery and looting, with both Muslim and Christian religious constituencies using their resources to lead those efforts.
In the Daqahlia district of Alexandria, Salafi Muslim groups broke into a tribunal building to collect all court cases and records. They told Al-Masry Al-Youm that they will hand in the records to the military.
Alexandria is a stronghold for Salafi groups, who traditionally do not involve themselves in politics. Many were detained following a deadly church bombing in Alexandria on New Year's Eve.
Al-Masry Al-Youm spotted posters printed by Salafi groups around the walls of the city reading, “No to chaos. No to violence.” The posters were signed "al-Gamaa al-Salafeya."
“This is the best time […] to come close to God,” Mahmoud, a young Alexandrian Salafi, told Al-Masry Al-Youm.
Joseph Malak, a Christian and member of the Milet Council, also described a “moment of return to God at crisis time.” According to Malak, there was high attendance at Sunday's mass at the Church of St. Mark and St. Peter, where the New Year's Eve terrorist attack took place.
The attack killed at least 23 people and injured scores.
Popular committees consisting of both Christians and Muslims surrounded the church to protect it against looting.
In the meantime, more than 5000 protesters continued demonstrating in the al-Qaed Mosque area, insisting that the appointment of a vice president and a new government will not put an end to their presence on the streets.
President Mubarak has appointed the appointment of a new government headed by former aviation minister Ahmad Shafiq.
