Fans of Cairo's Al-Ahly football club have stormed Egypt FA headquarters and "set it on fire after a court acquitted seven of nine police officials on trial for their alleged role in the Port Said stadium riot last year," according to Graeme Yorke of the London DAILY MAIL. A Cairo court "confirmed the death sentences given to 21 football fans for their parts in the riot," which claimed 74 lives and left 1,000 people injured. The court also "sentenced two senior police officers to 15 years in prison, but acquitted the other seven security officials." Thousands of Al-Ahly fans "had gathered to welcome the death penalty verdicts, mostly given to fans of rival club Al-Masry, who started the riot." They also "protested against the police acquittals." Football fans in the city have "felt that authorities were biased in favor of Al-Ahly, Egypt's most powerful club'' (DAILY MAIL, 3/9).
TWO DEAD IN VIOLENCE: BLOOMBERG's Ahmed A. Namatalla reported one protester "died from tear-gas inhalation and another from gunshot wounds in clashes in Cairo’s Tahrir Square." Nineteen "were injured." Egyptian FA spokesperson Azmy Megahed said, "The entire building has been torched. Some people got 15 years. Others got the death sentence. What more do they want?" (BLOOMBERG, 3/9). The Egyptian FA has "put all football related matches on an indefinite hold" (BIKYA, 3/9).
