Soccer fan riot claims 25 in Egypt
Cause of pregame clash unclear
CAIRO – A riot broke out Sunday night outside a major soccer game in Egypt, with a stampede and fighting between police and fans killing at least 25 people, authorities said.
The riot, only three years after similar violence killed 74 people, began ahead of a match between Egyptian Premier League clubs Zamalek and ENPPI at Air Defense Stadium east of Cairo. Such attacks in the past have sparked days of protests pitting the country’s hard-core fans against police officers in a nation already on edge after years of revolt and turmoil.
Two security officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said at least 25 people were killed.
The violence comes as police face increasing scrutiny following the shooting death of a female protester in Cairo and the arrest of protesters under a law heavily restricting demonstrations. President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has pledged to bring stability to Egypt amid bombings and attacks by Islamic militants, but also has said Egypt’s emergency situation meant some violations of human rights were inevitable, if regrettable.
Egypt’s public prosecutor issued a statement ordering an investigation. After convening an emergency meeting to discuss the violence, the Cabinet announced it was postponing upcoming soccer matches until further notice, Egypt’s state television said.
What caused the violence wasn’t immediately clear. Security officials said Zamalek fans tried to force their way into the match without tickets, sparking clashes. Fans have only recently been allowed back at matches and the Interior Ministry planned to let only 10,000 fans into the stadium, which has a capacity of about 30,000, the officials said.
Zamalek fans, known as “White Knights,” posted on their group’s official Facebook page that the violence began because authorities only opened one narrow, barbed-wire door to let them in. They said that sparked pushing and shoving that led to police officers firing tear gas and birdshot.
A fan who tried to attend the game, who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity out of fear of being targeted by police, said the stampede was caused by police who fired tear gas at the tightly packed crowd.
“Those who fell down could not get back up again,” the man said.
The Zamalek fan group later posted pictures on Facebook it claimed were of dead fans, including the names of 22 people it said had been killed. The AP could not immediately verify the images.
Egypt’s hard-core soccer fans, known as Ultras, frequently clash with police inside and outside stadiums. They are deeply politicized and many participated in the country’s 2011 uprising that forced out President Hosni Mubarak. Many consider the Ultras one of the most organized movements in Egypt after the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood, which the government later outlawed as a terrorist organization following the 2013 military overthrow of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi.