Egypt's Port Said on fire as Mansura sees heavy clashes
Saturday, 02 March 2013
Shots were fired in January in the Egyptian canal city of
Port Said at the funeral of people killed in clashes triggered by death
sentences on supporters of a local football team, witnesses told. (AFP)
Egyptian protesters torched a police station in Port Said on
Saturday, as police used tear gas to disperse crowds in the province of
al-Mansura, Al Arabiya correspondent reported.
About 500 protesters threw stones and petrol bombs at the police station, setting it on fire, and then blocked fire engines from approaching the blaze, said the interior ministry.
In January, violence in Port Said was set off when a court convicted and sentenced 21 people to death for involvement in a mass soccer riot in the city’s main stadium on Feb. 1, 2012 that left 74 dead. Most of those killed in the melee were visiting fans of Cairo’s Al-Ahly team.
The verdict enraged people in Port Said, where the majority of the condemned were local soccer fans, many of whom claim innocence.
The ensuing security crackdown deepened a sense of persecution that residents have harbored since the stadium disaster, the worst soccer violence ever to hit Egypt.
About 500 protesters threw stones and petrol bombs at the police station, setting it on fire, and then blocked fire engines from approaching the blaze, said the interior ministry.
In January, violence in Port Said was set off when a court convicted and sentenced 21 people to death for involvement in a mass soccer riot in the city’s main stadium on Feb. 1, 2012 that left 74 dead. Most of those killed in the melee were visiting fans of Cairo’s Al-Ahly team.
The verdict enraged people in Port Said, where the majority of the condemned were local soccer fans, many of whom claim innocence.
The ensuing security crackdown deepened a sense of persecution that residents have harbored since the stadium disaster, the worst soccer violence ever to hit Egypt.
Labels: Chaos, Conflict, Controversy, Crisis Politics, Egypt
posted by Pieface @ Saturday, March 02, 2013
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