Jordan: Football Violence or Racism?  · Global Voices
Betsy Fisher

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
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
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
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
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”
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!