England vs. Russia is turning into a war between fans on the streets of Marseilles
Soccer fans are turning Euro 2016 into a warzone ahead of England’s opening match against Russia. Saturday marked the third day of clashes between rival fans and the police, with tear gas and water cannons being used to disperse the crowd.
Everyone is pointing fingers at each other for how the violence began. Some claim British fans began the violence on Thursday in Marseilles, while the BBC reports that journalists on the ground are saying a gang of Russian fans dressed in black were responsible for instigating the violence.
At least one British fan was seriously injured in the clashes. The fan’s condition is not known at this time, but the fan reportedly needed to be resuscitated by police in the streets.
It’s unclear when the violence began, but tensions had been building between British, French and Russian fans for much of the week. It’s reported that a group of between 20-30 French teenagers attacked opposing fans with firecrackers and bottles as they congregated outside bars to watch the game, but this has not been corroborated. Police attempted to break up brawling fans in the streets only to be pelted with bottles.
Anything that isn’t bolted down is being used as a weapon by fans on both sides of the clash.
British MPs are slamming the behavior of England fans abroad, especially in light of France’s heightened terror threat entering the Euro 2016 games. It’s unclear whether any games in Marseilles will be delayed as a result of the violence.
