Football’s martyrs: how the Ultras become revolutionaries

STR/AP/Press Association Images. All rights reserved.Hussein
Taha and Mohamed Makwa: names of the first members of the Ultras to become revolutionary martyrs, and the first to die for a political
purpose. They passed away on 28 January 2011, on the 'Friday of Rage', a turning point of the Egyptian
uprising.

Their death
was not simply a tragedy, it was also a spark that kindled unity in their fragmented
brotherhood – a single unwavering reason for Ultras to join the revolution in
full force. 

They had lost two of their own.

Before 2011

Prior to January 25, 2011, the Ultras represented hardcore Egyptian football fan groups that
confronted authority, opposed police control and the extreme censorship prevalent
during the Mubarak regime. Determined to have their voices heard, young men
gathered during football matches to chant slogans and erect infamous red devil
pitchforks in the stands as symbolic opposition to the government and its vicious
security forces.

Tension
rose between football fanatics and the Egyptian government, occasionally
spilling out around the stadium in the form of scrimmages and clashes. Shocked
by their determination and exceptional organization, the government grew
paranoid about the group’s existence and lashed out in more brutal ways. As a
result, the Ultras cultivated a profound hatred for the Ministry of Interior and
the security forces at the centre of their identity.

For nearly
four years, the Ultras and the police clashed on Egyptian streets. Few would
have guessed that the experience they gathered on those occasions would help
them topple the regime years later.

The ‘Friday of Rage’

As
Egyptians marched the streets towards Tahrir Square on January 28, the smell of
tear gas polluted the air and disturbed the senses. Despite three days’ worth
of ongoing protests and gradually increasing violence, that Friday saw the
largest influx of civilian protesters yet. 

While each
member acted on individual intent, their anti-authority nature gave them unity.

Internet
and telecommunication networks had been shut down that morning in an attempt to
cause confusion and hinder crowds approaching the square. As police forces
clamped down on approaching Egyptians, handfuls of young men in red shirts
encouraged the crowd to push ahead. “Just a little longer to Tahrir, don’t give up,” one called to a group
of women frightened by the tear gas. Members of the Ultras moved with confidence
and a sense of leadership garnered through years of experience. While each
member acted on individual intent, their anti-authority nature gave them unity.

“The Ultras
were on the frontlines because they knew how to handle the situation,” an
anonymous Ultras member told Al-Jazeera. “However, they didn’t participate officially
or directly. There is no evidence that the Ultras groups participated. But each
member of the Ultras loves freedom. So, of course, they took to the streets.”

The Ultras
pushed ahead despite the gun shots being fired at the people and the thousands
who were injured en route to Tahrir Square. Some of the wounded clutched their eyes and
screamed, the likely result of a rubber bullet aimed at their eyes by the
police with malicious intent.

The
self-dubbed ‘Friday of Rage’ quickly became a reality.

As the sun
set over Cairo, protesters began to flood Tahrir Square for a prolonged sit-in.
Overwhelmed by the ensuing crowd, police forces scattered and retreated – some
by driving through crowds and over protesters. Military forces were deployed
instead. They encircled the protesters, but refused to intervene in the
uprising. As a result, president Hosni Mubarak delivered a speech and sacked
Ahmed Nazif’s government, but it was too little, too late. 

Throughout
the 18-day uprising in 2011, the presence of the Ultras was tremendous. When they were not
guiding or encouraging anxious citizens on the streets, or resisting security forces outside the Ministry of Interior, they were singing songs,
chanting slogans and dancing on Tahrir Square.

“The Ultras
had one voice,” sports analyst Hassan El Mistikawy told Al Jazeera. “It is thrilling to see 5,000 young men
marching in the streets, speaking with one voice. They energised people.”

They sang
to energise crowds, but also to pay tribute to their fallen comrades and to
remind themselves why they were risking their lives. Yet throughout their
collective struggle, they remained individuals guided by a common goal and not
by an official ideology. 

However, while
the Ultras were able to withstand attacks like the ‘Battle of the Camels’ in
Tahrir Square and witness Mubarak’s resignation days later on February 11, their
troubles had only just begun. 

The devil’s frontline

In the
immediate aftermath of Mubarak’s resignation, the Supreme Council of the Armed
Forces (SCAF) assumed power to govern Egypt until fair elections could be held. SCAF did not relinquish power until June 2012 when President Mohamed Morsi was
sworn into office. While this was seen as promising by a fair percentage of the
population, SCAF did not live up to its promises to remove Egypt’s oppressive
emergency laws or to help with the civilian transfer of power.

Naturally,
this resulted in Egyptians taking to the streets once more in opposition to SCAF’s
stranglehold on the nation. This peaked following the Maspero
Massacre in October 2011, where a group of mainly Coptic Christian civilians
protesting the burning of a Church in Upper Egypt were confronted by army
forces.

The clashes
took a violent turn and over 20 protesters were slaughtered. SCAF absolved
itself of all blame for the incident, instead broadcasting statements that the
Copts were responsible for the clashes.

By November
18, 2012, hundreds of thousands of Egyptians had returned to Tahrir Square to
protest SCAF’s inability to govern, and to demand an immediate handover. The
Ultras were among the voices heard that day, though they are largely remembered
for their heroics the following day.

Presidential candidate at the time, Bothaina
Kamel, was particularly vocal about the protection the Ultras offered her
during protests. She later showed her solidarity with the group by participating in
a rally for the victims of the Port Said massacre that saw 74 football fans die.  

As a
response to the gradually increasing crowds in Tahrir Square, SCAF targeted
civilians approaching from the neighbouring Mohamed Mahmoud Street, causing
violent clashes to break out. Over 40 protestors died that
day, including members of the Ultras, who took to the streets to protect
peaceful protesters. One such member told his mother prior to his untimely
death that he needed to protect the innocent from
being attacked.

Unresponsive
bodies were dragged to the side of the road and were piled on top of each
other, a tally of death. Had the football fanatics not been perfectly capable
of navigating the confusing streets surrounding Tahrir Square, more civilians
would have likely died that night.

Five years after the disturbing scenes that took place on Mohamed Mahmoud street in
November 2011, reporters continue to seek out parents of the Ultras martyrs who lost
their lives that night at the hands of a violent regime. One in particular recalled her son returning home every night with
swollen eyes and irritated skin, a result of tear gas. She asked him: ‘what is
the point of all this?’

To which
the martyr responded: ‘I do it for our country.’ 

Part three of this four-part series will look
at the Ultras’ post-revolution troubles, including the Port Said massacre that
brought Egyptian football to its knees.