Corey Adams

Business Manager

     The brutality of foreign soccer and the violence perpetrated by its fans are infamous. Throughout history, avid followers have brawled in the name of their favorite teams and players, but it’s beginning to get far too wild and dangerous. On February 1st, many people suffered due to the riot following a soccer match between Al Masry and Al Ahly in the city of Port Said, Egypt. This riot has been seen as the bloodiest outbreak of lawlessness since the fall of President Hosni Mubarak a year ago.

    The first appearances of violent intentions were seen around the middle of the match between the long time rivals El Masry of Port Said and Al Ahly of Cairo. It started with a sign that questioned the strength and honor of the El Masry men. This spurred scuffling in the stands, and the game was paused for a brief moment. The security guards, accustomed to violent soccer games, cleared the field and some of the tension in the audience. After the game commenced and remained fairly calm until the end. The El Masry team came from behind and swooped Al Ahly to win in a 3-1 upset. After the final whistle, fans stormed the field, chasing Al Ahly’s players to their locker room, chanting and yelling with weapons like knives and clubs. No police officer or security guard interfered though. The police that surrounded the stadium let the events unfold and, rather than attempting to control the violence, stood by waiting for it to end. One of the star players for Al Ahly, Mohammed Abu Trika, seemed confused during an interview,  “People here are dying, and no one is doing a thing. It’s like a war. Is life this cheap?”

    Shortly after the riot subsided, the locker rooms became hospital wings for those who were injured and hurt. The stadium was a mess. It was littered with carnage of people who were trampled, stabbed, or thrown from the balcony. 73 people died. Many Egyptians began to criticize the unwillingness of the police to control the crowd. Afterwards, Egypt’s top military officials provided vehicles to send the wounded back to Cairo for more intensive medical attention. In an interview, Egypt’s highest ranking military official stated, “We will get through this stage. Egypt will be stable.”