Turmoil spreads over Egypt in wake of soccer bloodbath
Protesters believe government didn’t attempt to stop riot.
CAIRO — Clashes broke out here and in other Egyptian cities Thursday, as thousands of people unleashed their fury at the authorities over the deaths of 73 people, many of them soccer fans, after a match the night before in the city of Port Said.
That melee, the bloodiest outbreak of lawlessness since the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak a year ago, threatens to provoke a new crisis for Egypt’s halting political transition.
In Cairo on Thursday evening, police officers fired tear gas to try to drive back thousands of protesters who descended on Tahrir Square. Many were soccer fans waving the flags of teams involved in the Wednesday match. They were joined by many others who have been demanding that the military cede power.
Across the spectrum, most appeared to believe that the military had at minimum allowed the violence to occur, adding to deep disquiet over the failure of the transitional government to re-establish a sense of order and stability.
The newly elected Parliament held a special session Thursday, and Prime Minister Kamal el-ganzouri said many officials, including the Egyptian football association’s director and the Port Said governor and security chief, had either resigned or been fired. Officials said 47 people had been arrested for taking part in the riot.