"UAo7" is EVERYWHERE in Cairo. Initially I thought that street art said "Arab Unity 1956" - in reference to the Arab nationalism of Nasser.
In fact, "UA07" refers to "Ultras Ahly 2007."
Ahly is one of the main football (soccer) clubs in Egypt, the other is Zamalek. The term "Ultras" (not itself an Arabic word) means fan club- Zamalek's fan club is called Ultras White Knight (Zamalek's jerseys are white). 2007 refers to the year in which the Ultras Ahly were established.
The Ultras have become a potent force in Egypt- since the Revolution their relationship with the government has been shaky. They are large groups of young men who can easily mobilize. During the 9 September demonstrations the Ultras Ahly and Ultras White Knights came together in a rare show of unity to protest the alleged killing of members of the Ultras Ahly after a previous match. 9 September demonstrations later turned violent when the Israeli embassy was attacked and burned.
I attended the first Ahly football match after 9 September demonstrations. Before the match began, the Ultras Ahly displayed pictures of their members who were arrested at the 9 September demonstrations with pieces of black, white & red paper. While the football stadium has reserved seating for the Ultras Ahlys, I was nevertheless awestruck by the level of coordination needed for such a display.
Here is a youtube clip of the event. At around 15 seconds into the clip, you can see the faces of the Ultras Ahlys.
No comments:
Post a Comment