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Southland Copts To Protest Attack On Church In Egypt

WESTWOOD (CBS) — Southland Copts Sunday plan to demonstrate outside the Federal Building in Westwood in response to a New Year's Day car bomb attack on a Coptic Christian Church in Egypt.

At least 21 people were killed and dozens of others wounded outside a church in Alexandria in a bombing referred to by President Barack Obama as "outrageous."

Egypt has increased security around churches, prohibiting vehicles from parking outside, since an al-Qaida-linked group in Iraq threatened the Church in Egypt in November. However, Copts have criticized the Egyptian government for providing inadequate security.

Adib Ghobrial, 69, a Copt who has lived in Los Angeles for 43 years, said the church bombing is hardly the first act of violence against Christians in Egypt.

"Every two months something happens," he told City News Service.

He said the demonstration, which is meant to "show America what's happening in Egypt," will be peaceful and its message will be to "stop killing Christians in Egypt."

(©2011 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

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