After the historic revolution a lot of questions were raised over potential drastic changes Egypt shall witness in the not-too-distant future, including the new relationship between the police and the citizens. For decades Egyptians have complained about the ill-treatment and inhumane standards of numerous officers, particularly in the last few years that saw a good number of people severely tortured and even killed by the so-called 'protectors of the nation'. Khaled Saied was the most famous victim of police brutality in Egypt. According to eyewitnesses, he was literally lynched by two plain-clothes policemen who beat him to death in Alexandria before everyone, an appalling incident that was followed by similar ones all over the country. A tremendous upheaval was ultimately brought to Egypt when massive demonstrations turned into a full-scale revolt, which toppled 82-year-old president Hosni Mubarak and destroyed a regime riddled with corruption, embezzlement, deception and nepotism. During the 18 days of the uprising, the police sank deeper into disrepute before changing their demeanor.
Maintaining security without violating human rights will not be a breeze for the Egyptian police, especially when it comes to hooliganism. To some extent, the protest marches that started on January 25th were peaceful and organized at the beginning. However, the central security forces did what they do best; assaulting some people and causing widespread chaos. The revolutionary youths, whose only 'crime' was having the courage to speak out against the system, eventually won the battle as they outnumbered the policemen who mysteriously disappeared for quite a while later on. Concurrently, organized terrorism became pervasive in many Egyptian cities, with various vehicles running people over, pedestrians gunned down in drive-by shootings and thugs looting shops and banks. The Ministry of Internal Affairs was held culpable for the turmoil by many people, who claim that secret police IDs were found with some of the terrorists when they got caught, a very serious allegation that further blemished the police's image. With things getting back to normal these days, the police are gradually returning to the streets and adopting a much friendlier attitude, trying to do their job as law enforcers without any excesses that could prompt the protesters to start fresh demos.
The new relationship between the police and the citizens in general has to be clearly defined before sports competitions can recommence. But maintaining security without violating human rights will not be a breeze for the Egyptian police, especially when it comes to hooliganism. Controversial fan firm Ultras Ahlawy was the first to flagrantly clash with central security forces during Ahli's 5-0 win over Kafr Al-Sheikh in a friendly football game last summer. It was a mass brawl that resulted in several injuries on both sides. In September 2010, hundreds of Zamalek supporters marched through the streets of Cairo ahead of their side's handball game against Ahli in what is known as the 'ultras cortege'. They destroyed many cars and encroached into the premises of the Red Devils. On the same day, Ahli fans decided to retaliate by going to the Whites' headquarters to start a whole new affray that lasted for around 30 minutes. The crowd only dispersed when security personnel stepped in after many were hurt. Both incidents took place before the demise of Mubarak's reign, when the police were allowed to do whatever it takes to stop and detain those who don't abide by the law. Now with violence a measure of last resort, they will find it extremely difficult to contain such situations. The relationship between the police and the citizens in general has to be clearly defined before sports competitions can recommence. It will probably take months or even more till both parties figure out how they will deal with each other in the new reality.
