Cairo, Egypt — At least 74 people were killed and hundreds injured after soccer fans rushed the field Wednesday in the seaside city of Port Said following an upset victory by the home team over Egypt’s top club, setting off clashes and a stampede as riot Police largely failed to intervene.
It was a bloody reminder of the deteriorating Security in Egypt nearly a year after former President Hosni Mubarak was swept out of power.
The melee — which followed an Egyptian league match between Al-Masry, the home team in the Mediterranean city, and Al-Ahly, based in Cairo and one of Egypt’s most popular teams — was the worst case of soccer violence in Egypt and the deadliest worldwide since 1996.
In Cairo, fans angered that another soccer match was halted because of the Port Said violence set fire to the bleachers at the main stadium in the Egyptian capital, authorities said. No injuries were reported as firefighters extinguished the blaze before it caused much damage.
The violence in Port Said raised fresh concerns about the ability of the government police to manage crowds. Most of the hundreds of black-uniformed police with helmets and shields did nothing as fans fought, some hurling sticks and rocks.
Mohammed Abu Trika, a player with Al-Ahly, criticized police for not intervening. “People here are dying and no one is doing a thing. It’s like a war,” he told the team TV station. “Is life this cheap?”
Security officials said the ministry has issued directives for its personnel not to “engage” with civilians after recent clashes between police and protesters in November left more than 40 people dead.
The violence also underscored the role of soccer fans in Egypt’s protest movement. Organized fans, in groups known as ultras, have played an important role. Their anti-police songs, peppered with curses, have quickly become viral.
Activists scheduled rallies today outside the headquarters of the Interior Ministry in Cairo to protest the inability of the police to stop the bloodshed.
Many gathered Wednesday outside the Al-Ahly club in Cairo, chanting slogans against military rule, and hundreds filed into Cairo’s main train station to receive the injured arriving from Port Said. “We die like them, or we ensure their rights,” the crowd chanted.
In Port Said, residents marched early today, denouncing the violence and saying it was a conspiracy by the military and police to cause chaos.
Army tanks and armored vehicles joined police patrolling near hospitals and morgues. Police were not to be seen in the streets after the violence.
The unrest also spread to the nearby Suez province, where about 500 protesters gathered outside the main police headquarters. A security official said the police fired tear gas to disperse the crowd.
Tension had been building in Port Said long before the match was over. Al-Masry fans threw rocks and fireworks at the players as they prepared to return to the field after halftime. After Al-Masry’s 3-1 win, Al-Masry supporters hurled sticks and stones as they chased players and fans from the rival team.
Al-Ahly goalkeeper Sharif Ikrami, who was injured in the melee, said dead and wounded people were carried into the locker room. “There were people dying in front of us,” he said. “It’s over. We’ve all made a decision that we won’t play soccer any more. How will we play soccer after 70 people died? We can’t think about it.”
The Interior Ministry said 74 people died, including one police officer, and 248 were injured, 14 of them police. A local health official initially said 1,000 people were injured but it was not clear how severely. Security forces arrested 47 people, the statement said.
Egypt’s state prosecutor ordered an immediate investigation, and the Egypt Football Association ordered an indefinite suspension of the league games. The parliament said it would convene an emergency session.
It was the deadliest soccer violence since Oct. 16, 1996, when at least 78 people died in Guatemala City before a World Cup qualifying match.
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