CAIRO - A fact-finding commission blamed policemen for the deadly violence that happened following a soccer match in the Mediterranean City of Port Said on February 1, saying they facilitated the violence by standing idly by, while armed Al-Masry fans attacked Al-Ahly fans. The commission, made up of a number of legislators who visited Port Said in the aftermath of the violence, said the policemen should have prevented the violence by taking special measures before and after the match. "There were signs that this type of violence would happen after the match," said the report of the commission, which was handed to Parliament."The Port Said security chief, however, refused to take measures to prevent the violence before it happened.” Egypt saw its worst-ever soccer violence on February 1, when thousands of fans of home side Al-Masry poured onto the pitch and attacked the supporters of the visitors, Al-Ahly, killing 74 people and injuring hundreds more. The nation went into mourning after the tragedy, as news channels broadcast pictures of weeping parents and the bodies of the victims being carried on the shoulders of their bereft families, supplying fodder for angry discussions on talk shows. The following day, the streets of the Egyptian capital and the City of Suez turned into urban battle zones, with deadly clashes between demonstrators bent on avenging the deaths of the innocent soccer fans and policemen bent on protecting what remained of their dignity after a revolution that deposed Hosni Mubarak a year ago. The demonstrators, however, said that what happened in Port Said was not about soccer, but about the desire of the nation's policemen to teach young soccer fans – most of whom were active during the revolution – a lesson. Eyewitness told of the passive role played by policemen, as they saw the Ahly fans being beaten to death by the supporters of the home team. The report of the parliamentary fact-finding commission referred to a cyberspace war involving soccer fans before the match. It said one website talked of a meeting held by the supporters of Al-Ahly Sporting Club in which they underlined the importance of getting prepared for the ‘Battle of Port Said'. The report pointed out that the Interior Ministry did not reckon on the dangers entailed in holding this match, failing to take the necessary measures to prevent a tragedy. "Al-Masry Sporting Club is also to blame for allowing so many fans into the stadium," the report said, adding that around 17,000 people were admitted into Port Said Stadium, some of them without tickets. It is not clear what Parliament might do with the report, but one legislator told The Egyptian Gazette that it will bring the people responsible for the tragedy to account. "By doing this, we can at least help prevent more tragedies like this happening in future," Adel el-Qala said.
