Hundreds of bakery owners stormed the Ministry of Supply and Internal Trade building on Qasr al-Ain Street downtown Cairo demanding to meet with the minister Bassem Kamal.
Protestors came from several governorates, including Giza, Cairo, Alexandria, Monufiya and Qalyubiya. They chanted “Bassem Kamal is a failure,” “Bread, freedom, we are not thieves,” and “the Brotherhood’s loaf [of bread] is void and the elections’ loaf is void.”
Ministry security negotiated with the protesters, convince them to stay out of the ministry building, as the leading officials were not present but had travelled to Sohag accompanying the president on his visit to the governorate.
Protesters retreated after a few verbal altercations with the officers. They continued their protest in front of the ministry headquarters, and blocked off one side of Qasr al-Aini Street causing traffic delays.
Late last month, bakery owners postponed a strike. State bakeries nationwide are angry over the increasing cost of diesel fuel, unpaid bonuses and plans to lift grain as well as plans to lift flour subsidies.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
