Egypt police arrest more fans over soccer riot anniversary
CAIRO — Egyptian police took 37 soccer fans into custody overnight in Cairo after arresting 80 others the previous day on suspicion they had planned to stage a protest on the anniversary of a deadly 2012 soccer riot, a lawyer said Thursday.
According to the attorney, Mokhtar Mounir, it wasn’t immediately clear why the additional arrests were made.
The 2012 soccer riot in the city of Port Said killed 73 fans — it was Egypt’s worst soccer disaster and one of the world’s deadliest. Most of the victims were fans of the Al-Ahly soccer club.
The hardcore Al-Ahly fans group known as “Ultras Ahlawy,” banned by authorities, cancelled a planned commemoration after some of its members were arrested ahead of the anniversary. Five were charged with inciting protests and belonging to an outlawed group.