Violence mars Poland-Russia Euro 2012 clash

DOZENS of arrests were made last night as Polish and Russian football fans clashed as their teams met at the Euro 2012 football tournament.

Riot police fired tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannon to quell violence between the rival supporters in the Polish capital, Warsaw. Initial reports said 56 arrests were made and at least seven people were injured.

Trouble broke out as up to 5,000 Russians marched through the city to mark their national day.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The march, approved by Polish authorities despite simmering hostility between the two nations, had to be halted.

Missiles were thrown and Polish fans reportedly tried to attack Russian rivals on a bridge, leading to scuffles. There were further outbreaks of violence in other parts of Warsaw including close by the stadium, where the match ended in a 1-1 draw.

Authorities were braced for the violence with around 6,000 police on duty, given the historic bitter rivalry between the two countries.

There was further controversy yesterday when the deputy mayor of Gdansk – one of three other Polish cities hosting the tournament alongside four in Ukraine – was accused of racism after praising residents and visiting fans for behaving like “civilised white people”.

Local translators said the Polish phrase used by Andrzej Bojanowski was not intended to offend but when put into English it may have been construed as racist.

Euro 2012: Back Page and Page 22.

Related topics: