Egypt Mourns Soccer Riot Victims, and Many Blame Military for Melee

"Egypt began three days of national mourning on Thursday after at least 73 people were killed in a brawl between rival groups of soccer fans after a match in the city of Port Said, the bloodiest outbreak of lawlessness since the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak one year ago.The riot on Wednesday night refocused attention on the failure of the transitional government to re-establish a sense of order and stability in the streets and threatened to provoke a new crisis for Egypt’s halting political transition. The deadliest soccer riot anywhere in more than 15 years, the melee also illuminated the potential for savagery among the organized groups of die-hard fans known here as ultras who have added a volatile element to the street protests since Mr. Mubarak’s exit. The newly elected Parliament held a special session on Thursday and Prime Minister Kamal el-Ganzouri said a raft of officials, including the Egyptian football association’s director and the Port Said governor and security chief had either resigned or been fired, news reports said. Leading members of the Parliament accused the military-led government of deliberately allowing the violence to escalate to justify its expansive police powers and undermine the revolution. Lawmakers demanded high-level resignations and threatened a vote of no confidence in the military-appointed cabinet. “The reason for this tragedy is the deliberate neglect and absence of the military and the police,” said Essam el Erian, a senior lawmaker from the Muslim Brotherhood’s political arm, which leads the chamber."
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