Egyptians are accusing police of failing to prevent Wednesday’s soccer riot that killed 74 people, and two more were shot dead on Thursday by security forces as sports violence spiralled into a new political crisis for the country.
The deaths on Wednesday night in a stadium riot in the Mediterranean city of Port Said have fuelled anger at Egypt’s military rulers who are no longer perceived as the guardian of the revolution that toppled long-time strongman Hosni Mubarak in February. People believe that notwithstanding their promise to hand over power to a civilian government after presidential elections in June, the ruling generals have a hidden agenda which they want to implement with help from the Muslim Brotherhood.
The Muslim Brotherhood, which secured 47 per cent of the vote in post-Mubarak parliamentary elections, appears to be willing to play along with the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) to an extent so that it does lose its newfound legislative clout.
Many Egyptians, including some members of parliament, are blaming the military rulers for letting the riots happen. Some see a lack of control while others say the violence was carried out on purpose.
Survivors say police stood by doing nothing as fans of the winning home team, Al Masri, attacked supporters of the top Cairo club, Al Ahli, stabbing them and throwing them off bleachers.
Activists say that security forces, under orders from the military, allowed or even engineered the violence against Al Ahli fans.
They say elements in the police and former regime figures have been working behind the scenes to undermine the revolution and prevent real change.
The Al Ahli soccer fans, known as Ultras, have vowed vengeance, accusing the police of intentionally letting rivals attack them because they have been among the most aggressive of Egypt’s revolutionaries. They were at the forefront of the uprising that toppled Mubarak a year ago and are now leading protests against the ruling military that succeeded him.
The violence has fuelled their anger and demand that Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, the head of the military council, surrender power. The ruling generals are behaving as autocratic as the ousted regime.
Football is indeed a national passion in Egypt, but it is now politicised. Given the intensity of the popular anger against the military, the country seems to be poised to go through yet another round of violence and bloodshed. The Muslim Brotherhood and all other political parties have the responsibility of saving their own people from such a fate.