Three dead in protests after Egypt soccer clashes

2012-02-03 24

At least three people have been killed in protests triggered by the soccer deaths in Egypt.

One person died in Cairo from a shotgun pellet wound and two were killed in the city of Suez as police used live rounds to hold back crowds trying to break into a police station.

In Cairo, 400 protesters were injured in clashes that erupted late on Thursday near the Interior Ministry building.

"Look at the ministry and what it does to its youth," said this protestor, as he pulled an injured man to a nearby field hospital.

Demonstrations erupted across Egypt following the deaths of over 70 people at a soccer stadium in Port Said on Wednesday, turning the incident quickly into a political crisis.

This morning, demonstrators like Yusuf Mohamed are gearing up for a one million-person rally in downtown Cairo's Tahrir Square.

(SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PROTESTER, YUSUF MOHAMED SAYING

"The military council is responsible for the accident. The military council promised to provide security at the league matches, but I'm wondering why they didn't provide security at that match. The unfair trials aren't acceptable either, and they are against the law….people are dying, they should transfer power,"

They are calling for military rulers to step down and hand over power to a civilian government.

Sarah Wali, Reuters

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