Twitter users share suspicions about deadly violence in Egypt

Twitter users sought the missing, bemoaned the violence and shared suspicions about what happened when clashes broke out in Egypt's coastal city of Port Said after a soccer game. Egyptian television reported that at least 73 people were killed. Violence broke out on the soccer field after the Port Said team won a rare victory over the visiting Ahly, a powerhouse club from Cairo. Port Said supporters reportedly rushed the field immediately after the game as chaos spread and players and fans from Ahly ran for cover beneath the stadium and into locker rooms. Security officials feared the riot would lead to retaliation by Ahly hooligans, known as Ultras, who were involved in the attack on the Israeli Embassy in Cairo in September. Its members have been on the front lines in the recent deadly clashes between antigovernment protesters and riot police and soldiers. The violence spurred speculation on Twitter that Egyptian police had planned to attack the Ultras. "Ultras were targeted, they were at the forefront in many battles, this is not a "coincidence," one woman with a Cairo account tweeted. Those suspicions point to the ongoing volatility of Egypt as it unsteadily attempts to move toward democracy. Whether or not the Egyptian military was involved, "this will surely spur more retaliatory attacks," another Twitter user who identifies himself as "Egyptian by upbringing" wrote. Cairo - Los Angeles times