The Game Goes On - Sophia Davison

     With a relatively unstable economy, a lessened constraint on rules of etiquette, and an enthusiastic sports community, it is not terribly shocking that the recent riots in Cairo, Egypt at a soccer match led the the tragic deaths of 19 fans. "Shortly after the incident, soccer fans traded accusations with the Interior Ministry, which blamed the violence on riots from ticketless fans who tried to push their way in. 'They climbed the fence. The security forces tried to disperse them, the fans fled to the main road and blocked traffic and stopped the bus carrying the Zamalek soccer team," the ministry said in a statement. "They set fire to a police vehicle. We got reports of fatalities because of a stampede.' But Zamalek fans painted a different picture. In a social media posting, they said they were tear gassed as they tried to go through a single, small gated entrance that was opened to allow them into the match." These contrasting ideas of the situation, or really, very biased and manipulated opinions stand to represent a lot of the conflict going on between military and civilian interactions in Cairo currently. Even at local sporting events, the results of these conflicts can be drastic and terrifying to consider. Although this is not a usual occurrence, violence has been seems at sports games before in Egypt. Just three years ago, 70 were left dead in Port Said City after violence between two differentiating teams. The unfortunate nature of these events seems very distant from the American culture, yet the difference only leans on personal cultural perspective. Nevertheless, the 19 tragic deaths of these fans leaves me astonished at the potential for disaster from such an event, and how this has taken place in the past. Riots and marches, protests and events held for the sake of making a change or difference have led to disaster numerous times in the past, as is expected. Any type of change or new influence brings about some type death and some type of birth, unfortunately resulting quite often in the literal sacrifice of many lives. 

http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/09/africa/egypt-soccer-violence/index.html