JORDAN: AMMAN: PAN ARAB GAMES - SOCCER RIOT

• published: 21 Jul 2015
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Natural Sound The son of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi was one of a number of people taken away by police when a soccer match at the Pan Arab Games in Amman, Jordan broke down in violence. The game between Libya and Iraq on Sunday night was the second match of the tournament marred by violence. Both games involved the Libyan team and Libyan supporters have been blamed for the trouble. It was the second time that violence, rather than sporting prowess had made the headlines at the Pan Arab Games in Amman, Jordan. Rioting broke out in the stands during a game between Palestine Territories and Libya on Friday night and on Sunday night Libya was again the centre of attention as they faced Iraq. The match was a spirited, tough affair with Iraq taking a 3-1 lead when the Libyan players began to get more physical. Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's son Al-Saaedi, who is part of the Libyan team entourage, watched from the sidelines as the game began to degenerate. Trouble broke out in the stands and Al-Saaedi Gadhafi was called upon by police to try and placate the rioting fans. The game resumed but soon broke down again as fans began ripping the seats from off their anchors and throwing them onto the field. As special riot police intervened, the violence intensified, with both fans and security officers being injured. The police eventually fired tear gas into the stands in a bid to quell the disturbance. More than fifty fans and police were injured in the riot. Iraq finished up winning the match, 3-1, much to the delight of their own fans. The level of violence is unprecedented at the Pan Arab Games and has served only to intensify criticism of the this year's Games which have been described as one of the most disorganised. Organisers, however, have labelled the games a success saying the problems have been caused because they had only two years to prepare on a limited budget. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/59f8eb0eefbf286a62c2a92919365cd3 Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork