Violent clashes reignited in Cairo on Friday between Egyptian police and protesters angered by reports of inadequate security at a soccer match that devolved into a riot this week, leaving 79 people dead.
Thousands of protesters gathered outside the Interior Ministry, prompting riot police to deploy tear gas for fear the men -- some of them masked -- would storm the building.
"The people demand the downfall of the field marshal," chanted the protesters, who waved flags from the popular soccer team Al-Ahly, which was playing in the game Wednesday when the riot broke out.
Gen. Marwan Mustapha, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry, said protesters who had taken over a government taxation building were throwing Molotov cocktails from the roof. More than 100 security forces were injured, including several by birdshot pellets, Mustapha said.
Similar clashes on Thursday left two dead in Suez and a military officer dead in Cairo, said Adel al Adawi, a Health Ministry spokesman.
The latest demonstrations come amid a period of mourning for those who died at the match Wednesday in the Mediterranean city of Port Said. Fans of the hometown Al-Masry club stormed the field after a 3-1 win over Cairo's Al-Ahly club. Rival fans battled with rocks and chairs, and witnesses said many of the Al-Masry fans carried knives and sticks.
Many suffocated in the crush of bodies that formed as fans attempting to flee the stadium found their escape blocked by a locked steel gate, survivors said.
In the aftermath, horrified fans questioned why police had not stopped the Al-Masry fans from rushing the visitors' stands, why exits were barred and how fans were able to take weapons into the stadium.
"We believe this is something that has been well-organized," said Khaled Mortagy, a member of Al-Ahly's governing board. "I'm sure there are some hidden hands behind this, but we cannot really see, or we cannot really confirm, who is behind all that."
Mamdouh Eid, executive manager of the Al-Ahly fans committee, said authorities contributed to the escalation of the violence.
"The police stood there watching, and the ambulances arrived late. I carried several dead fans in my arms," he said.
But Gen. Ismail Osman, a member of Egypt's military council, told Mehwar TV on Thursday that the military and police were not responsible for what happened.
Mustapha said fans stoked tensions during the entire match.
"There were organized groups in the crowds that purposely provoked the police all through the match and escalated the violence and stormed onto the field after the final whistle," he said. "Our policemen tried to contain them but not engage."
The soccer violence reignited demands for Egypt's military-led government to make reforms and improve security.
Egypt's fledgling parliament erupted in anger over the national tragedy Thursday, with the debate growing so heated that the body's speaker ordered a live broadcast of the session cut off. The order was retracted after lawmakers objected.
A committee will investigate the circumstances behind the riot. Prime Minister Kamal Ganzouri suspended Port Said's security chief and the head of police investigation. The two men will face an inquiry. Ganzouri also accepted the resignation of Port Said's governor.
A deputy of the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party demanded the resignation of the interior minister, holding him responsible for the loss of life.
It was unclear whether the riots were ignited by intense sporting rivalry or political strife. Egyptians just marked the anniversary of the revolution that toppled the longtime dictator Hosni Mubarak.
The incident at Port Said, at the mouth of the Suez Canal, ranks among the world's worst sports disasters. It prompted officials to suspend indefinitely Egypt's football premier league.
Source: cnn.com
