Football supporters come to the rescue of Tahrir Square protesters

Ultra football supporters in September: "United Against the Police." Photo published on Flickr by G. Osman.

A wave of fresh violence has taken over Cairo’s Tahrir Square since Friday. The rioting protesters include a wide range of people, from students to Islamists to…football supporters. The hardcore football fans of one of the capital’s biggest clubs have taken it upon themselves to defend protesters against police violence.

The “Ultras” are a group of supporters of the Cairo football club Al Ahly. They are known for their aggressive chants, their use of smoke devices and their antics during matches. They are tough guys, used to facing off with the police in football stadiums. In January, they had already played a big part in the protests that overthrew former president Hosni Mubarak, and are now once again joining ranks with the protesters.

“Our previous experience with police means we can stand up to them for longer”

Abu Ala is one of the founding members of the Al Ahly “Ultras.”

The Ultras were created in 2007. We don’t usually get involved in politics – we had never done so before last January. Our clashes with police were limited to inside the stadium. But the revolution was an exceptional moment, and we couldn’t just stand aside and watch.

 

This time, we didn’t join the protests straight away. We weren’t there when the families of the people killed during the uprising went back out to Tahrir Square last Tuesday. What then convinced us to participate were reports of police violence. We have experienced it first-hand before, and we can’t stand it. We have zero tolerance for it.

 

We organized ourselves over the phone and by email. When we got to the square, we didn’t have a specific strategy. We just faced off with the police like we’re used to doing in stadiums. Our experience means that we take certain precautions that allow us to stand up to them for longer. For example, we wet our faces with vinegar or fizzy water, which lessens the effect of tear gas.

 

Obviously, we chant our usual slogans during the protests – that’s how people recognise us. But we change the words. For example, one of our best-known chants goes: ‘Government, beware! We’re angry tonight! Ahly supporters will set the house on fire! God give us victory!’ But in Tahrir Square, we replace ‘Ahly supporters’ by ‘the Egyptian People’. And everyone chants along with us.”

The "Ultras" in Tahrir Square on Sunday night.

Post written with FRANCE 24 journalist Sarra Grira.