Jordan: Football Violence or Racism?

News reports estimate that 250 people were injured following a football game in south Amman between the Wihdat team, usually followed by Jordanians of Palestinian heritage, and the al-Faisali team, usually supported by Jordanians of Transjordanian heritage.

Some Tweeters focused on condemning the violence:

@Namleh Athletes must have a forgiving heart & high respect for each other! sadly that was not the case at the football game in #jo

Others blamed one team for the violence; 5hadz blamed the Faisali supporters:

@anammari No, el Wehdateye bi7ayathom ma balasho fight, it's always been el Faisaleye.
http://twitter.com/5hadz/status/13531784515952640

No, in their lives the Wihdat supporters have not started a fight, it's always been the Faisali supporters.

Dania Ab blamed the Wehdat fans:

We all know how savage wi7dat team are,oo ya reet kan el darakyeen thaba7ohom o 7aragohom kman bekon a7san #Jo” هذاتفكيرلايجدي

We all know how savage the Wihdat team are, and I wish that the gendarme had slaughtered or burned them; it would be better

Noha Safar was quick to condemn this violent language:

“@Daniiiaa: We all know how savage wi7dat team are,oo ya reet kan el darakyeen thaba7ohom o 7aragohom kman bekon a7san #Jo” هذاتفكيرلايجدي

“We all know how savage the Wihdat team are, and I wish that the gendarme had slaughtered or burned them; it would be better” – This kind of thinking does not work.

Even an MP joined in the blame game:

@5hadz Even MPs .. الفايز مع اتخاذ عقوبات بحق النادي الذي تسبب جمهوره بهذه الاحداث He means Wehdat? http://bit.ly/gmK2ca

Al Fayez (an MP) favors sanctions against the club that incited the audience to these events. He means Wihdat?

Many Tweeters, though, focused their ire on the Al-Jazeera coverage of the events, which blamed the Jordanian police forces, and ongoing racism for the violence:

Sanad Azab wrote:

Such a BS misleading report “@fayez: تقرير #الجزيرة حول ضرب الدرك للجمهور #jo #video http://j.mp/e0PePz”

Such a BS misleading report. Al-Jazeera's report on the police beating the fans.

Ayment Saket agreed:

Although #AlJazeera stated that #AlWihdat fans broke the fences in celebration, and crushed each other, they put the blame on #Jo police.

Ahmad Ammari wrote:

We all know it's not but Al Jazeera is trying to make it #JO Gov thing now RT @5hadz: اه لإنو هاي هي مشكلت العنصرية في الأردن، لعبة كرة قدم!

Oh, because of this there is a racism problem in Jordan – a football game!

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