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Deadly protest after Egypt football ban

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Published : March 25, 2012 - 10:50

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Fresh clashes erupted in the northern city of Port Said on Saturday, after a boy was shot dead in overnight fighting between Egyptian security forces and football fans protesting against a ban on their club.

Protesters pelted rocks at the Suez Canal Authority, as security forces guarding the vital building fired shots in the air and tear gas to disperse the crowd, security officials said.

Overnight, football fans protesting a ban on their club over a stadium riot that killed dozens last month clashed with troops, leaving one 13 year-old boy dead and 68 injured, according to the health ministry.

The official Al-Ahram newspaper reported that the boy was shot in the back.

By Saturday morning, the protesters had blocked routes into Port Said, witnesses said, creating traffic jams for several kilometres (miles) outside the Mediterranean city.

The protest erupted after the Egyptian Football Association banned Al-Masry from playing for two years and cancelled matches at Port Said stadium for three years, the newspaper reported.

Three club officials are among 75 people facing trial over the stadium riot that killed more than 70 fans at the end of a match between Al-Masry and Cairo rivals Al-Ahly on February 2, in one of the sport's deadliest incidents.

The independent AL-Shorouk newspaper reported that thousands joined protests after the main weekly Muslim prayers at noon on Friday, passing out leaflets calling for the expulsion of foreign workers in Port Said province.

Port Said had become increasingly isolated after the stadium riot, leading to demonstrations by its inhabitants to decry what they said was a smear campaign against them.

The riot broke out when Al-Masry fans invaded the pitch after their team beat the visitors 3-1, throwing rocks, bottles and fireworks at Al-Ahly supporters, causing chaos and panic as players and fans fled in all directions.

Most of the casualties died from suffocation as they were caught in a stampede.

In a statement, the Egyptian Football Association said Al-Ahly had also been suspended for four official games because its fans aimed fireworks at the pitch and held up insulting banners before the deadly riot.

The stadium deaths sparked days of violent protests in Cairo led by Al-Ahly fans in which another 16 people were killed.

Many believe the riot was orchestrated either by the police or supporters of Hosni Mubarak, a reflection of distrust towards the ruling military which took power after the veteran president was ousted in a popular uprising last year.

Al-Ahly's most ardent supporters, the Ultras, were active in the revolt that overthrew Mubarak.

They played a prominent role in defending anti-regime protesters when, one day during the uprising, Mubarak supporters on horse and camelback plunged into the crowds in Cairo's Tahrir Square before being pulled from their mounts or fleeing.

The defendants who will face trial over the deaths include nine members of the police and three officials from the Al-Masry football club. Two minors will be sent to a children's court. (AFP)

 

<관련 한글 기사>


성난 축구팬들 시위에서 10대 소년 숨져


지난달 초 프로축구 경기장 폭력으로 70여명이 숨지는 참사가 발생했던 이집트 포트사이드에서 24일(현지시간) 잔여 경기 취소에 불만을 품은 시위대가 경찰과 충돌, 13세 소년 한 명이 총을 맞아 숨지고 최소 68명 이 다쳤다.  

경찰은 성난 축구팬들이 포트사이드에 있는 수에즈 운하 관리당국 건물에 돌을 던지며 시위를 벌이자 공중을 향해 위협 발포를 하고 최루탄을 발사하며 해산을 시도했다. 

이번 시위는 전날 이집트축구협회(EFA)가 참사가 일어났던 포트사이드 경기장을 3년 동안 폐쇄하고 홈 구단인 알 마스리에 대해 2011/2012 시즌과 2012/2013 시즌에 참여하지 못하도록 결정하면서 촉발됐다.

지난달 1일 이집트의 지중해 연안 도시 포트사이드에서 열린 알 마스리와 알 아흘리의 경기가 끝난 뒤 양팀 팬들이 경기장에 난입하는 바람에 74명이 숨지고 수백 명이 다치는 불상사가 벌어졌다. 

많은 축구팬들은 정부가 사건 당일 양팀 간 긴장이 고조됐음에도 경기장에 충분한 경비 인원을 파견하지 않았다고 비판해왔다.

일부에서는 이날 폭력사태가 독재자 호스니 무바라크가 지난해 시민혁명으로 축 출된 이후 정권을 잡은 군부 세력을 불신하는 경찰 집단이나 무바라크 추종자들에 의해 조직적으로 발생한 것이라고 보고 있다.