Euro 2012: Russia And Poland Fans Clash On The Streets

[Ryan Ruck]

I had to reformat it since The Daily Mail likes to put unnecessarily long titles on their pieces and intersperse tons of pictures throughout the actual article.

Euro 2012: Russia And Poland Fans Clash On The Streets

Why on earth did they let it happen? Poland blamed for sparking Warsaw riots after allowing 5,000 Russians to march on the stadium (on day marking end of the Soviet Union)

June 12, 2012

Poland's government has come under fire for letting 5,000 Russian football fans celebrate their national day marking the end of the Soviet Union with a patriotic march through Warsaw.

The nation's police has also been slammed for being too slow to react to the violence that erupted during the parade, which came ahead of Russia and Poland's 1-1 Euro 2012 draw.

Ugly rioting saw 184 arrested, including 156 Poles and 24 Russians, and at least another 24 injured.

But Interior Minister Jacek Cichocki insisted that the 6,400 police, including 2,000 riot officers, sent to deal with the march to the stadium was sufficient.

He told a news conference today: 'In my opinion, the number of policemen was appropriate. I think the police performed well.'

And he said he hoped the courts would severely punish all those caught fighting in the streets of the Polish capital.

He added: 'When it comes to our hooligans, I hope the prosecutors and especially the courts will be strict and these people will fully feel the consequences of their antics.'

Cichocki also said the detained Russians would face accelerated court procedure and would likely be expelled from Poland and banned from returning to Europe's border free Schengen area for five years.

Many have questioned why the march was allowed in the first place, likening it to England fans marching through a German city to celebrate D-Day.

Authorities had been braced for a confrontation at the Group A game between the neighbouring countries.

Relations have been poisoned by centuries of conflict and the Soviet domination of Poland for more than four decades after World War Two.

It has tarnished what has so far been a relatively tarnished tournament, with UEFA also being criticised for staging the game on such an emotive day.

Police fired rubber bullets and used water cannons on the hooligans who fought running battles in the streets of the Polish capital.

Despite it marking Russia's breakaway from the USSR, the Russia Day marchers were waving Soviet flags – a provocative symbol to many Poles, who were controlled from Moscow for decades.

Fans inside the ground unfurled a huge banner proclaiming 'This Is Russia' - another antagonistic reference to the former Soviet control.

Punches, bottles and missiles were thrown. The Poles are said to have used a bridge to ambush their rivals.

'It was just a free for all and a disgrace,’ said one eyewitness. 'Innocent people were running and screaming just to get away from these men who behaved like animals.

'They were kicking out at each other, in the face and the body as they lay on the ground.’

In a separate incident, around 50 Polish fans wearing masks attacked Russian rivals in a Warsaw cafe.

Edyta Galazkowska, spokesman for Warsaw ambulance service, said 14 Russians, one German, one U.S. citizen and one Pakistani were among the injured.

The nationality of seven others was being established. None was in life-threatening condition.

A Warsaw police spokesman added: 'We are still monitoring the situation and trying to identify the supporters involved.

'The operation is not over from our side as we continue in our attempts to catch those who are causing trouble.'

Tensions were already running high with home fans having mocked the Russians over a Polish army victory in 1920.

The two countries are uneasy neighbours with Russia having occupied Poland for more than a century and dominating the country after the Second World War.

Football governing body UEFA has already begun disciplinary proceedings against Russian fans caught on film kicking and punching stewards near a walkway at the Wroclaw stadium after their side beat the Czech Republic 4-1.

There were a number of other incidents as well, which came as Russia fans waving their country's flag marched to the stadium in a show of patriotism seen as provocative to many Poles.

It was considered a huge security challenge for police. Russia fans clashed with police on a bridge near the National Stadium and police were later seen making arrests.

In another incident, a group of clearly drunken Polish men began fighting among themselves, hitting and kicking each other.

Two were on the ground bleeding and police intervened, throwing two more to the ground.

The men were holding cans of beer and mumbling and one appeared to be unconscious. An AP reporter witnessed the incident and saw police detain three people.

One Russian who didn't have tickets to the game, but made the two-day car trip from Moscow simply to be in be the city, said it was wrong for the Russians to march in Warsaw given the countries' troubled history.

'The march, it wasn't right. It was a provocation. It shouldn't happen like this. But there are also aggressive Poles and we are scared here,' said the man, who gave only his first name, Petya.

He and a friend had hoped to cross a bridge leading from the city center to the stadium to soak up the atmosphere in the area.

But they gave up that notion and were sitting outside, sipping on beers from a distance, and planning to watch the match on TV in an apartment with friends.

In recent days, Polish media have tried to stir up nationalistic sentiments over the match, suggesting the encounter would be more than a simple soccer game.

Newspapers on Monday were full of dramatic references to Poland's victorious 1920 battle against the Bolshevik Army, known as the Miracle on the Vistula.

The Super Express tabloid carried a front page mocked-up picture of Poland coach Franciszek Smuda charging on horseback, saber in hand, in a 1920 Polish army uniform under the headline "Faith, Hope, Smuda" - a play on an old army motto: "Faith, Hope, Motherland."


Scroll down to see footage of the clashes...


Polish and Russia fans kick off against each other after the match in Warsaw last night


Punches, bottles and missiles were thrown despite the attention of 6,000 officers


Despite the clashes, Poland's government has said it was happy with the number of police who were on patrol


Russia and Poland have a problematic history, which manifested in last night's violence


A group of Polish football fans beat a Russian supporter during clashes between the two sets of rivals


In similar incidents nearby the stadium more sets of Polish fans target a Russian outside the stadium


Police were forced to stand guard during the match and even used a water cannon and rubber bullets to deter more violence


Polish plain clothes policemen detained a number of fans as battles broke out in the streets


Russian football fans had to be protected by Polish riot police in Warsaw


A Russian soccer fan fights with a Polish supporter, right, in Warsaw


A Polish soccer fan lies on the ground after clashing with Russian supporters


Police intervention as Polish and Russian fans clash during a march of Russian supporters to the National Stadium in Warsaw


Polish and Russian fans clash caught lashing out at one another ahead of tonight's match


An injured Russian football fan lies on the ground in need of medical with police at his side


The roads were covered red after the brutal clashes between rival 'fans'


Police and fans clash during a march of Russian supporters to the National Stadium in Warsaw


An injured Russian fan is seen as Polish and Russian fans clash ahead of the two nations' clash in the European Championships


More fans from both sides clash ahead of the match between Poland and Russia


Riot policemen stand guard during the match between the two nations


Polish armed officers take up their positions on the sidelines ahead of last night's match between Poland and Russia


Stewards carry away a Russian who ran on the pitch after the game


The players themselves even got involved in some tempestuous exchanges on the pitch


Fans cross the Poniatowski Bridge after the1-1 draw between Russia and Poland


A Polish fan stands up to a line of riot police as trouble in Warsaw continued into the evening


Officers prepare to fire rubber bullets as the trouble threatened to get out of hand following the game


Russia's football fans display a giant banner during the Euro 2012 championships football match against Poland

[American Patriot]

Multiculturalism.....

[Malsua]

I still don't understand how people get so worked up over a bunch of rich guys kicking a ball around.

[American Patriot]

Same with me. We don't USUALLY do that crap here in America, over Football - at least not on a large scale. There was that one guy who was beat up I think at a baseball game (has brain damage from it)