Egyptians Riot After Soccer Game

Prompted by a 1-0 soccer loss to archrival Algeria and unconfirmed reports of violence against Egyptian fans, a mob burned Algerian flags and injured 35 police officers in Cairo. The riot was sparked by unconfirmed reports that Egyptian fans had been attacked after the game, which was held in Sudan. Rather than an appeal for calm, the riot received at least tacit encouragement from the son of President Hosni Mubarak, Alaa, who phoned into a news program to defend Egypt's anger. “We were being humiliated and we can’t be silent about what happened there,” he said, according to The New York Times. “We have to take a stand. This is enough. That’s it, this is enough. Egypt should be respected. We are Egyptian and we hold our head high, and whoever insults us should be smacked on his head,” he said. The riot has drawn comparisons to similar unrest after bread prices shot up in 1977 and 2008.