Cairo ( CNN ) -- A stern Egyptian court ruling tied to a soccer riot spurred clashes that left at least 30 people dead on Saturday , the latest round of violence in the unsettled North African nation . In addition to those killed , more than 300 were wounded when people in the northeastern city of Port Said clashed with authorities outside a prison where their kin were being held , the head of Port Said hospitals told state-run Nile TV . They were angry because 21 of their relatives had just been sentenced to death for their role in a February 1 riot in a Port Said stadium . That 2012 incident -- during a game between Cairo 's prestigious Al-Ahly football club and the host Al-Masry team -- ended with 73 dead . Two months later , Egypt 's general prosecutor charged 75 people with `` premeditated murder and attempted murder , '' while three Al-Masry officials and nine police officers were charged with `` assisting the murderers . '' According to the prosecutor 's office , those in the latter group knew about the assault ahead of time , did n't confiscate weapons in advance , did n't stop them and -- in the case of an electricity engineer who was charged -- turned off the lights directly over the bleachers where the Al-Ahly fans were sitting right after the visiting team wrapped up its 3-1 victory . Fans from both sides bashed each other with rocks and chairs , yet prosecutors claimed the Port Said supporters were also armed with knives and other weapons . Many died after falling from bleachers inside the stadium , while others suffocated . It was unclear whether intense sports rivalries or political strife sparked the riot , though witnesses said tensions had grown throughout the game with Al-Masry fans throwing bottles and rocks at the opposing players . That violence begat more on Saturday , after some of the defendants ' relatives tried to storm the Port Said prison to free their loved ones being held inside , Interior Ministry spokesman Brig . Gen. Osama Ismail told Nile TV . The reaction was far different in Cairo , where Saturday 's verdict was issued due to security concerns . One man cried for joy , feeling that `` justice has been survived '' following the death of his oldest son , the married father of two children . `` I finally felt that I am in a civilized country , '' added a woman in Cairo 's capital . `` My son ( did ) nothing wrong . But my son 's legacy will live on , because of the true justice served here . '' Egypt embroiled in deadly political unrest . Saturday 's Port Said violence comes on the heels of other bloodshed around the nation , which was tied more explicitly to unrest about Egypt 's current leadership but nonetheless symptomatic of instability and insecurity two years after longtime President Hosni Mubarak was ousted . More recently , protesters have focused their anger at current President Mohamed Morsy . The former Muslim Brotherhood leader , who became Egypt 's first democratically elected leader last year , has come under fire by some who compared him to Mubarak and said he amassed power for himself and his Islamist allies . He has insisted his moves were necessary to move Egypt forward in the face of pressing issues and persistent obstacles . On Friday -- the anniversary of what some call the January 25 Revolution -- six people were killed in Suez and one in Ismailia , amid clashes involving anti-government protesters and those supportive of Morsy , as well as police . Hundreds more were injured in the unrest nationwide . Opinion : U.S. gets it wrong on Egypt again . Referring to this violence and what happened Saturday in Port Said , Information Minister Salah Abdul Maqsoud read a statement on state TV saying the government was considering implementing a state of emergency in some areas . `` The ( National Defense Council ) denounces the acts of violence and demands all national and political forces be committed to the peaceful ways to express their opinion , '' Maqsoud said after a meeting led by Morsy . `` ( The council ) calls for wider national dialogue , led by ( prominent ) figures , to discuss the issues of political disagreement and reach national accordance . '' On Saturday in Suez -- about 90 miles south of Port Said -- the government deployed troops and armored military vehicles in response to the previous day 's clashes . Brig . Gen. Adel Refat , the head of security in Suez , asked for the help after declaring the area `` out of control , '' according to state news . Protesters accused Egyptian forces of opening fire during the demonstrations , a claim Refat strongly denied . Meanwhile , in Cairo , clashes extended to areas around the Shura Council , the upper house of parliament . Protesters overnight waged a standoff outside the Nile TV offices , with some tossing Molotov cocktails and police responding with tear gas . Journalist Ramy Francis and CNN 's Reza Sayah reported from Cairo ; CNN 's Amir Ahmed reported Atlanta . CNN 's Chelsea J. Carter , Greg Botelho , Yousuf Basil and Hamdi Alkhshali contributed to this report .
NEW : Egypt may issue a state of emergency if the unrest continues , a minister says . At least 30 people are killed in clashes near a Port Said prison , officials tell state news . The violence erupts after 21 are sentenced to death for their part in a deadly soccer riot . Score: 6