Posted on 06/24/2006 1:46:24 PM PDT by BenLurkin
STUTTGART (Reuters) - Riot police detained a group of around 100 rowdy England soccer fans in a square in the center of Stuttgart on Saturday after they had clashed with German fans, throwing bottles and chairs and trading punches.
Tens of thousands of English and German fans had gathered in the area, many drinking throughout the day, to watch Germany's 2-0 second-round World Cup win over Sweden on big screen TVs. Trouble broke out shortly after the end of the game.
England fans were in the city for their country's second-round match against Ecuador on Sunday.
Some 150 fans on both sides threw bottles and chairs before riot police moved into the area to separate them.
After an uneasy standoff and a brief lull, the two sets of fans again threw glass bottles at each other, prompting the riot police to move the German fans out of the area.
They then moved in to arrest the English supporters.
"Most of them will be arrested, because it's like a theater here, and if we don't arrest them there'll be trouble here all night," Stuttgart police spokesman Stefan Kielbach told reporters.
He said the trouble had been started by both sets of fans. Some German supporters were also seen being dragged away by riot police while one German man left the area with blood on his face.
VIOLENT HISTORY
The English have a long history of soccer-related violence but there has been little trouble in Germany so far, with only a small number of arrests for mostly drunken behavior or people trying to get into a stadium without a ticket.
However 122 people were detained in Stuttgart on Friday night for drunken and aggressive behavior and they are expected to be held until the game on Sunday has been played.
Under German law police can detain individuals for threatening behavior or if they suspect they are likely to commit a crime and it does not constitute a full arrest.
Earlier, Germany had beaten Sweden in Munich to reach the quarter-finals of the World Cup.
It's the flag of England, as opposed to the more commonly seen flag of the United Nations.
The UK flag is a combination of the flags of England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland (flag linky). Wales got left out.
I want an edit function on Free Republic! I typed: It's the flag of England, as opposed to the more commonly seen flag of the United Nations. I meant, of course, United Kingdom, not United Nations.
Somehow the euros will find a way to blame this all on american culture.
This is what you think a riot is? A couple of hundred people posturing, some patio furniture getting lobbed around and then the police splitting them up?!
Well, they took sterrn measures to keep the hardcore English from making the trip, iirc.
The French Army vs. English Soccer Hooligans
http://www.grudge-match.com/History/soccer.shtml
Apologies for the stupid pop-up.
Once again, great minds think alike.
(to recycle an old joke:)
"I went to a brawl and a soccer game broke out!" :-)
"Well, they took sterrn measures to keep the hardcore English from making the trip, iirc."
This is correct, there are about a total of 3000 people I believe subject to these restrictions. Meanwhile, there's an estimated 60,000 England fans in Germany, the vast majority of whom seem to be causing no problems at all and having a fabulous time.
Google on scocer riot video - I won't post because one needs maximum protection to visit those sites. Have firewall / AV. etc
I was thinking the same thing when I saw this earlier on the news. Commie, low scoring sport, watched by skinheads itchin' for a fight.
Something for the whole family.
Yes, you're correct all round. But we are being told that it can now be an arrestable offence to display our country's flag!! (or Denmark's, for some strange reason). Guess why ? Because it is OFFENSIVE....
Yes, you heard that right.... Because it recalls the cross worn by the Crusaders (quite recently, I believe).
There is a major prize for guessing who are the offended party......;-)
I remember watching NFL coverage a few years back when Channel 4 were first broadcasting it in the UK. At a Cincinatti v Cleveland game they interviewed the Chief of Police, who was going on about how they don't have the same kind of problems as English soccer and how he was 'only expecting about 100 arrests' at that days game.
I nearly fell off my chair! Most clubs in Britain don't see 100 arrests in a season, nevermind at one game, if there were 100 arrests at one English league game there'd be a bloody national inquiry!
One thing about it American fans dont have to stand around and get drunk celebrating a victory.
This is what you do when your countries are too weak and decrepit to fight wars anymore.
"This is what you do when your countries are too weak and decrepit to fight wars anymore"
Hmm, feel free to go personally deliver this message to British troops currently serving in Iraq or Afghanistan. I'm sure they'll be able to disabuse you of the notion of their weakness...
You mean like the Falklands, Gulf 1 & 2 or were you speaking of the Germans?
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