(AFP File Photo)
Tens of family members of Port Said football massacre victims stormed Al-Ahly Club in Giza, protesting the club’s upcoming game against Al-Masry SC, state media reported.
The families demanded that the game be cancelled or delayed until the verdict in the Port Said “football massacre” trial is issued.
Members of the Ultras Ahlawy group attended the protest, expressing their dissatisfaction with upcoming game. They have taken to online campaigns on social media demanding the team “withdraw” from the game, in solidarity with the families.
The trial relates to the Port Said stadium disaster, commonly called the “Port Said massacre”, in which 74 Al-Ahly supporters were killed following a football match. Al-Masry fans stormed the pitch, attacking players and fans. The incident caused the Egyptian Premier League’s cancellation, which did not resume until 2013 with fans subsequently banned from attending games.
There are 73 defendants in total in the case, sentenced on two separate occasions. The first sentence was delivered in January 2013, in which 21 people were sentenced to death. The second verdict came in March 2013, when the 21 death sentences were ratified, with five receiving life sentences, ten handed 15 year sentences, two receiving five years and one man receiving a year-long sentence. Subsequent appeals have caused a retrial.
A similar state of dissatisfaction occurred among the Ultras members in 2013, after the government and security forces approved the continuation of the league.
Since its creation in 2007, Ultras Ahlawy has engaged in numerous clashes with police forces. The Ultras have become known for their anti-police and anti-government slogans, and played a key role in the 25 January Revolution.
