Their anger reflects a deeper resentment of the capital common in the port city. Many Port Said residents believe that too much of the tax money collected from ships passing through the port lands in Cairo, which does not return enough of the funds to their municipal coffers.

Port Said has been shaken by violent protests in recent days as the date for the verdict neared.

Deadly clashes erupted after the 21 death sentences were first handed down in January.

Port Said's tense relationship with Cairo dates back about 60 years.

Many residents of Port Said felt Egyptian security forces didn't adequately defend the city during the series of wars with Israel that began with the Jewish state's creation in 1948 and ended after the 1973 Arab-Israeli War.