» 02/02/2012 EGYPT Massacre at Port Said between fans. The military: factions that want destabilization Last night, 74 people were killed at Port Said stadium in an attack carried out against the supporters of Cairo’s al-Ahly club. Security forces unable to contain the violence. Witnesses speak of infiltrators.
Cairo (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The Provisional Government of Egypt has declared three days of mourning for the death of at least 74 people during violence last night at the stadium in Port Said, in a clash between supporters of two rival teams, the local Al-Masry and Cairo based al-Alhy. Meanwhile, there are mounting protests in the country against what seemed the inability of police to control the mass of fans.
The clashes took place at the end of the game which saw the 3 to 0 victory of the Port Said team. During the match, Cairo – famed for being hooligans - continually provoked al-Masry fans who, at the final whistle, invaded the pitch clashing with the opposition players and fans. In a rare phone call to the television channel of the Al-Ahly Cairo team whose supporters were the main victims of the attack, the head of the Supreme Council of the armed forces, Marshal Tantawi said that " This will not bring Egypt down. We will not let those behind it go.'' He added: These incidents happen anywhere in the world.'' Tantawi said that the victims receive compensation. ''Egypt is stable. We have a roadmap to transfer power to elected civilians. If someone is aiming for instability in Egypt, they will not win. Each will get what he deserves.'' The Interior Ministry said 74 people died, including a police officer, 248 were injured and 14 of them are agents.
Protest marches are being organized today in front of the Ministry of Interior in Cairo against the inability of the security forces to contain the violence. "People are furious against the military regime," said a witness of the massacre. Since early morning spontaneous processions are forming in Cairo which people chanting slogans against the Supreme Council. In the meantime, three days of national mourning has been declared.
Local newspapers report eye witness accounts from people in the Port Said stadium which claim that the ultras were not only responsible for the al-Alhy attack. " All of my friends returning from the match assured us that they were not attacked by soccer fans only, but by another infiltrating crowd,” said journalist Mohamed Beshir on his Twitter account. And those present confirmed that security was completely absent when the al-Masry fans invaded the pitch.
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