A TEENAGER has been shot dead and over a dozen other people injured during violent clashes between Egyptian soccer fans and security forces.
Troops fired volleys of tear gas to disperse the crowds of protesters who gathered in the city last night. Protesters set fire to tyres and blocked roads before reportedly attempting to storm an administrative building.
The clashes followed an Egyptian Football Association decision to ban the Port Said club al-Masry for two seasons over serious stadium riots in February in which at least 74 people were killed. Fans of rival teams al-Ahly and al-Masry clashed on the pitch following a match at al-Masry’s stadium on 1 February.
Three days of mourning were declared by Egyptian leaders after the deaths during clashes between rival football fans in Port Said.
An inquiry into the disaster found that actions by both sets of fans coupled with poor security measures were behind the deaths. The Port Said Stadium Authority was also heavily criticised for shutting the stadium doors. Around 18,000 people were in the stadium at the time, despite only 12,000 tickets being sold.
A criminal investigation into the violence is underway and 75 people, including several senior police officers and officials from the al-Masry club, have been charged in relation to the attacks on fans.
- Additional reporting by the AP
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