Boy Shot Dead at Egypt Football Protest

A 13-year-old boy was shot dead when Egyptian security forces clashed with fans protesting against a ban on al-Masry football club over a deadly stadium riot, state media said on Saturday.

The official al-Ahram newspaper reported that the boy was shot in the back and that 16 other fans were hurt, most of them suffering from tear gas inhalation, during the violence overnight in Port Said.

The protest was held after the Egyptian Football Association decided to ban al-Masry from playing for two years and cancel matches at Port Said stadium for three years, the newspaper reported.

Three club officials are among 75 people facing trial over a riot inside the stadium that killed more than 70 fans at the end of a match between al-Masry and Cairo rivals al-Ahly on February 2.

The stadium deaths sparked days of violent protests in Cairo, in which another 16 people were killed.

Many believe the riot was orchestrated either by the police or supporters of Hosni Mubarak, a reflection of distrust towards the ruling military which took power after the veteran president was ousted in a popular uprising last year.