Soccer violence between Bedouins and Palestinians is not new. In 2009,
Palestinian fans at a soccer match between national teams Faisali and Wehdat
hurled abuse toward Queen Rania and Crown Prince Hussein. Faisali is
dominated by Bedouins and Wehdat by Palestinians.
In the latest clash, Bedouins began hurling bottles at Palestinians
after Wehdat beat Faisali 1-0 in the qualifying game for the national
league. The attack prompted police to fire tear gas, which sparked a
stampede in the stadium and resulted in the the collapse of a fence.
"That triggered the collapse of the large metal fence, which fell on
people and police forces under it," a witness said.
Officials said at least 30 police officers were injured, many of them
members of the paramilitary Gendermarie. They said the rioters smashed
police cars as well.
"I have watched hundreds of football matches in the country but never
witnessed such an incident," another witness told the Jordan Times.
The Jordanian government has formed a panel to investigate the riots.
The Cabinet said authorities would bolster security both inside and outside
soccer stadiums.
"They will continue to take all necessary measures to preserve security,
stability and the society's spirit of brotherhood and coherence and protect
all citizens, including civilians and members of the security agencies," the
Cabinet said.
Soccer violence in the Middle East has often reflected ethnic and
religious divides. More than 70 percent of Jordan's population is
Palestinian while the Bedouin minority dominates the security forces.
"Those who tried to take advantage of the incident, raising provocative
statements, should have instead sought to ease the tension and restore
calm," Interior Minister Saad Srour said.