Police teargas brawling England fans in Marseille
Print Edition
FRENCH police fired tear gas to break up clashes between England soccer fans and local people in the Mediterranean city of Marseille on Thursday night on the eve of the Euro 2016.
A police official said about 100 England fans and 50 residents were involved in the fracas in the streets around the Vieux Port (Old Port) area. Chairs were hurled around and windows smashed before police gained control.
Two fans were arrested and four officers slightly hurt in the clashes, police said.
Early yesterday, hundreds of fans congregated in the bars of the city, with the Queen Victoria pub again the focal point, although the mood was relaxed.
Up to 70,000 England fans and 20,000 Russians are expected to arrive throughout the day and today ahead of the match between the two countries.
The tournament was kicking off later with France still under a state of emergency after Islamist militants launched simultaneous assaults on entertainment venues in Paris in November, killing 130 people.
Interior Ministry spokesman Pierre-Henri Brandet said Thursday night’s trouble amounted to a scuffle between fans that did not call security measures into question.
Footage posted on social media showed police forming a ring around dozens of England fans outside an Irish pub. Broken glass lay strewn around.
England fans were involved in serious disorder over several days in Marseille in 1998 before and after a match against Tunisia in the World Cup.
In contrast to the violence in Marseille, Paris hosted a music concert near the Eiffel Tower where tens of thousands of revellers danced late into the night.
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