CAIRO: Egypt's President Mohamed Morsi on Saturday cancelled a scheduled trip to Ethiopia due to the violence Egypt is going through, the president's office said. At least 18 people are now reported dead in Port Said following a court verdict earlier in the day. Morsi had been scheduled to attend the inauguration of the African Summit in Ethiopia yet withdrew after deadly clashes erupted following a court ruling sentencing 21 to death in a Port Said football massacre. Around the prison where the defendants are being lodged, live gunfire is being heard as the injured and dead are being carried to local hospitals, which called on citizens to donate blood in order to give care to those injured in the violence. An Egyptian judge early morning Saturday sentenced 21 defendants for their role in the Port Said football massacre that left at least 75 people dead on February 1, 2012. The names of those sentenced for capital punishment have been sent to the Grand Mufti, who must approve the death sentence before it can be carried out. As the judge was announcing the verdict, cheers from the families of those killed in the violence reacted with cries as for them, justice is being served. No police or security officials were sentenced in today's ruling. A second verdict is scheduled for March 9. In Cairo, thousands of al-Ahly fans, or Ultras, many of whom were in Port Said during the massacre, waited at the club's headquarters for the verdict. When announced, they also let out a cheer of relief. One man in the Port Said court was shown on national television holding a picture of his son as tears ran down his face. The massacre left Egypt shocked as scenes of violence spread across televisions last February, leading to violent clashes in downtown Cairo after fans from the al-Ahly team accused the ministry of interior of culpability in allowing the violence in Port Said to take place. In February, following the violence in Port Said, thousands of fans, with the Ultras leading the way, took to the streets of downtown Cairo. They were attacked by the military and police forces, with tear gas flying in every direction, birdshot hitting the legs, faces and arms of the protesters. It was a defiant show of strength for the disillusioned fans who felt the security forces had stood by and allowed fans to attack one another – video emerged showing security forces standing idly in a tunnel as the violence persisted. It was not the first time the Ultras took to the streets in protest and support for democratic change, but this time in was noticeably about football and security. The days of clashes in downtown Cairo led to the end of the domestic league and the unending debate over the role of football in Egyptian society.
