Riot after soccer game leaves at least twenty dead

A riot between fans and law enforcement in Air Defense Stadium broke out the night of Sunday, February 8, 2015 in Cairo, Egypt. Fans entered the stadium Sunday night for the Zamalek versus ENPPI game through a narrow corridor lined with barbed wire on either side. This was the first time fans had been allowed to watch Zamalek play since the riot in 2012, which left 74 dead and was one of the deadliest riots in the history of the sport.

Officials allowed 10,000 people to purchase tickets for the game, though the stadium seats nearly 35,000. The real problem started when Zamalek fans, known as the “White Knights,” who had not purchased tickets tried to fight their way through the crowds and enter the stadium. The front row of ticketless fans turned back when they were greeted by police, but the people in the back kept pressing forward.

As they tried to shove their way through the crowds, police started to fill the center of the stadium with tear gas, causing the majority of the victims to suffocate. The survivors of the riot later called the narrow opening the fans shoved through the “corridor of death” and vaguely described the mass of people panicking and fainting. One fan in particular, a man named Mahmoud, voiced his concerns in an interview with The Associated Press over the use of tear gas by the police. “I never thought they would fire tear gas here. I thought it would be impossible, and they would realize that people would die for sure.” For security purposes, Mahmoud only allowed his first name to be released.

Many claim that the fans’ act of retaliation was spurred by their mutual hatred of the police. This tragic event has the people of Egypt further questioning the actions of the police force because of the country’s recent years of turmoil and unrest. Upcoming soccer matches will be postponed until further notice.

By: Lexie Shaw