Egyptians blame military for deadly soccer riot

Egyptians ranging from soccer fans to lawmakers blamed the country's military rulers for a bloody post-match riot Thursday as anger mounted over the failure of police to stop the violence when a narrow stadium exit turned into a death trap in a seaside city north of the capital.

Thousands of protesters converged on Cairo's Tahrir Square – the epicenter of the uprising that ousted Mubarak last year – carrying the red flag of the city's Al-Ahly soccer club and the national banner. They then marched to the nearby Interior Ministry to protest the police inaction and call for retribution for the 74 people who died in the world's worst soccer violence in 15 years.

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Survivors and witnesses described people falling from the bleachers and other scenes of chaos after as fans from the local Al-Masry team in Port Said chased supporters of the visiting Al-Ahly club with knives, clubs and stones. Hundreds fled into the exit corridor, only to be crushed against a locked gate, their rivals attacking from behind.

The site of the soccor match blood bath (Photo: EPA)

"The lights went off. The doors of the corridor were locked and sealed with a chain," said Sayyed Hassan, 22, who suffered a broken leg. He sat on the pavement with other mourners outside the morgue in Cairo, where many of the dead were taken.

"We weren't able to get out. I don't remember anything else," he said, adding that he had lost his 25-year-old friend in the stampede.

The riot at the stadium in Port Said erupted when Al-Masry fans stormed the field following a rare 3-1 win against Al-Ahly, one of Egypt's most popular clubs. Some Al-Ahly fans said they had hung banners making fun of Al-Masry supporters in Port Said before the game, apparently provoking the local fans to riot despite their victory.

"They want to punish us and execute us for our participation in the revolution against suppression," Ultras who back the Cairo-based Al-Ahly club said in a statement. They vowed a "new war in defense of our revolution."

Prime Minister Kamal el-Ganzouri, in an emergency parliamentary session, announced he had dissolved the Egyptian Soccer Federation's board and referred its members for questioning by prosecutors about the violence. He also said the governor of Port Said province and the area's police chief have resigned.

Several lawmakers said the lapse was intentional, aimed at stoking the country's insecurity since Mubarak's fall on Feb. 11.

Parliament Speaker Saad el-Katatni, of the Muslim Brotherhood, accused security authorities of hesitating to act, putting "the revolution in danger."

"This is a complete crime," said Abbas Mekhimar, head of parliament's defense committee. "This is part of the scenario of fueling chaos against Egypt."

The Interior Ministry said 74 people died, including one police officer, and 248 were injured, 14 of them police. A local health official initially said 1,000 people were injured and it was not clear how severely. Security forces arrested 47 people for involvement in the violence, the statement said.

Health ministry official Hisham Sheha said the deaths were caused by stabs by sharp tools, brain hemorrhage and concussions. "All those carried to hospitals were already dead bodies," Sheha told state TV.

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