Egypt: 'At least 73' killed in Egypt football violence

[dipsydoodle]

At least 73 people have been killed in fan clashes following a football match in the Egyptian city of Port Said, state television reports.

The deaths occurred after supporters invaded the pitch following a match between top-tier clubs Masry and Ahly on Wednesday.

It is feared the death toll could rise as scores have been injured.

Some of the dead were security officers, the Associated Press quoted a morgue official as saying.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-16845841

[leveymg]

1. Quick. Reconvene the UN Security Council to authorize "humanitarian" military intervention.

The delegates are probably still in the building . . .

[tabatha]

2. Not the point.

People released from autocratic rule do not always transition peacefully. (I did not know that football violence was so widespread in all kinds of countries.)

And I don't recall military intervention in the UK soccer riots.

They are hardly about to be mowed down by tons of military equipment.

False equivalencies make me want to

[dipsydoodle]

4. Deaths are rare over here

quite aside from self defeating - reduces the number available for fighting. Broadly speaking our firms are not that stupid.

The 1985 tragedy when 39 died at the Heysel stadium had different causes.

[tabatha]

3. Football hooliganism - wikipedia

So Egypt has now re-joined the following countries:

2 Europe
2.1 Azerbaijan
2.2 Belgium
2.3 Bosnia and Herzegovina
2.4 Bulgaria
2.5 Croatia
2.6 Denmark
2.7 France
2.8 Germany
2.9 Greece
2.10 Hungary
2.11 Italy
2.12 Ireland
2.13 Netherlands
2.14 Norway
2.15 Poland
2.16 Portugal
2.17 Russia
2.18 Serbia
2.19 Sweden
2.20 Spain
2.21 Switzerland
2.22 Turkey

2.23 United Kingdom
2.23.1 England
2.23.2 Northern Ireland
2.23.3 Scotland
2.23.4 Wales

3 South America
3.1 Argentina
3.2 Brazil

4 North America
4.1 Mexico
4.2 United States and Canada

5 Asia
5.1 Bangladesh
5.2 China
5.3 Jordanian Kingdom
5.4 Israel
5.5 North Korea
5.6 Syria
5.7 Japan

6 Africa
6.1 Democratic Republic of the Congo
6.2 Egypt
6.3 Gambia
6.4 Ghana
6.5 Ivory Coast
6.6 Libya
6.7 Mali
6.8 Mauritius
6.9 Mozambique
6.10 South Africa
6.11 Zimbabwe

7 Oceania
7.1 Australia


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_hooliganism

Egypt
In January 2006 riot police had to attack Libyan fans in the Cairo International Stadium after throwing missiles at the Egyptian fans in the tier above them during a match between the Egypt national football team and the Morocco national team. The Libyan fans had stayed on to watch the match after they had seen Libya lose 2-1 to Ivory Coast and had started taunting the home supporters. The Egyptian fans responded by asking them to leave the stadium and verbally attacking them at half time, and when, despite a plea to stop, it continued into the second half, the riot police were called in. The Libyan Football Association were fined $7,000 by the Confederation of African Football disciplinary Commission.[206]

[AngryAmish]

5. Ban it. Everywhere.

[MrCoffee]

6. Ban football?

[dipsydoodle]

7. Just keep soccer

.

[Dreamer Tatum]

12. So...wait...you think they were playing American football.

[dipsydoodle]

13. No chance

[Lars77]

14. Pretty sure riots are banned already.

[riverwalker]

8. impossible to figure it out

reading hysterical Tweets, they blame SCAF, and stuff about a gang called The Ultras White Knights who hate the police, their slogan/graffiti is ACAB ("All Cops Are Bastards&quot and that the riot was started by police to avenge protests in Tahrir. It was definitely politically motivated, they say, from what I can read in english.
Can't make sense of any of it, because most of it in Arabic.


The Ultras White Knights: Football hooliganism or social movement?
http://www.thedailynewsegypt.com/football/the-ultras-white-knights-football-hooliganism-or-social-movement.html

[dipsydoodle]

9. Wouldn't it be a bit odd

for them to use an acronym in English ?

[T_i_B]

10. Footage here.

Appalling. Just appalling.

&feature=youtu.be

[dipsydoodle]

11. The army have been called in now.

Aside from the deaths there over a 1000 injured too.

[Yo_Mama]

15. I thought this was really interesting.

For one thing, the cause of the riot was that the home team won, and the home crowd formed the rioters. It seems they weren't satisfied with the win - they mobbed the field and tried to beat up the losing team.

Later on a ref stopped a match in Cairo, and fires were set in that stadium.

We read a lot about religious violence in Egypt, but maybe the stresses are just causing violence. Maybe it is less religion and more other social factors, such as increasing economic stress.

[HuckleB]

16. This may not be entirely unrelated to the political situation in Egypt.

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Backchannels/2012/0201/Egypt-soccer-tragedy-claims-73-lives-and-fans-rumors-video

"Interesting will be the response of the Ultras Ahlawy, Ahly's hard-core supporters group. They and the supporters' clubs from a few other teams were deeply involved in organizing defenses at Tahrir Square during the uprising against Mubarak -- bringing organization, and know-how in dealing with the country's riot police. Though football fans, they seem to take as much delight in taunting and jeering at the police as they do in celebrating goals.

The Ultras occasionally flexed their muscles on the streets of Cairo since the revolutoin. The killing of an Ahly supporter by police after a match in September led to a mass show of strength by the Ultras, who marched on the Israeli embassy venting their fury and sacked the place."

[T_i_B]

18. Marched on the Israeli embassy?

What on earth to the Israeli's have to do with a killing by the Egyptian police?

[HuckleB]

17. One Year Ago: Soccer Clubs Central to Ending Egypt's "Dictatorship of Fear"

http://www.edgeofsports.com/2011-01-31-596/index.html

[maddezmom]

19. Egypt army, police blamed for soccer bloodshed

CBS/AP) CAIRO - Scores of Egyptian soccer fans were crushed to death while others were fatally stabbed or suffocated after being trapped in a long narrow corridor trying to flee rival fans armed with knives, clubs and stones, in the country's worst ever soccer violence that killed at least 78 people, according to Egypt's Health Ministry.


The tragedy Wednesday evening — which followed an Egyptian league match between Al-Masry, the home team in the Mediterranean city of Port Said, and Al-Ahly, based in Cairo and one of Egypt's most popular teams — was a bloody reminder of deteriorating security in the Arab world's most populous country, as instability continues nearly a year after former President Hosni Mubarak was swept out of power in a popular uprising.


It was also the deadliest soccer violence worldwide since 1996. One player said it was "like a war."

more: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57370213/egypt-army-police-blamed-for-soccer-bloodshed/

[Lars77]

20. Some speculate that the army deliberately did not aid Al Ahly fans and players

Because their fans were instrumental in the street fighting against the regime. Al Ahly is not just a soccer club, is it a institution that has always served as a vehicle for anti-government protest, ever since the British were in control there.

The motivation for the rioting i dont know but these teams have had huge battles off the pitch in the past. Perhaps the home fans knew that the police would not intervene this time...