TWO PEOPLE were shot dead by police in the Egyptian port of Suez and one died in Cairo as protests erupted around the country after the killing of 74 fans in football violence in the city of Port Said.
Thousands marched to the interior ministry headquarters near Cairo’s city centre, tearing down barbed wire and concrete barriers set up by police after protests in November and December. Health authorities said one man was killed and hundreds more injured, mostly from teargas and birdshot.
The security services fired volleys of teargas as the crowds lay siege to the ministry in an angry reaction at what they consider the role of the police in the Port Said killings on Wednesday night.
The number of demonstrators grew throughout the day and a separate group gathered in Tahrir Square, vowing revenge for the “martyrs” of Port Said. They chanted: “Either we get their rights or we die like them.”
In a separate development, gunmen kidnapped two US tourists and their Egyptian guide in south Sinai, a tourism hub and one of the few places still receiving visitors. The three were reported to have been freed several hours later.
Yesterday was declared a day of demonstrations by opponents of Egypt’s ruling military council, who are convinced it is at worst complicit in the killings and at best inept. Protesters want the council to hand over power to the newly elected parliament immediately or to bring forward presidential elections scheduled for June.
In Suez, about 3,000 protesters gathered in front of the police headquarters where they clashed with security forces. Witnesses quoted by the Associated Press said police fired teargas and live rounds, killing two and leaving a third in critical condition.
Demonstrations also took place in Alexandria, although there were no reports of clashes.
Many Egyptians believe the deaths in Port Said are part of a conspiracy by police to punish groups of football supporters known as “ultras” for their role in defending protesters in clashes with the security forces. Some see the violence as the work of remnants of the regime of overthrown president Hosni Mubarak, in an attempt to undermine a move towards accountable government.
Port Said witnesses said fans were killed in a stampede and others stabbed by rival supporters and thrown off the stands. Deaths occurred when hundreds of football supporters were trapped in a narrow corridor against an exit locked by the security forces.
Most of the dead had come to cheer al-Ahly, Egypt’s top club, which was in Port Said to play local side al-Masry. After the game, police stood by as Masry supporters invaded the pitch, chasing the al-Ahly players before attacking them. Witnesses say security was lax throughout the game, and police did not search fans for weapons, a customary procedure at games. The two teams are rivals and games are usually tense with potential for violence.
In an emergency session, Egypt’s newly elected parliament voted to start procedures to prosecute the interior minister for negligence. The ruling military council has sacked the governor of Port Said and suspended two senior police chiefs. – (Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2012)