French police out in force in Lille ahead of England v Wales and Russia v Slovakia at Euro 2016
Wednesday 15 June 2016 13:14, UK
French police moved onto the streets of Lille to keep order on Wednesday as tens of thousands of Russian, English, Welsh and Slovak fans arrived for the latest round of Euro 2016 fixtures.
Authorities fear Russia's game against Slovakia on Wednesday followed by England v Wales in the nearby city of Lens on Thursday could trigger a new bout of unrest.
A police spokesman, who revealed 4,000 police and gendarmes will be on duty in the city over the next few days, said seven arrests were made during the night, mainly to stop fights erupting between rival groups of supporters.
They included two Russians, held over scuffles in a cafe where chairs and bottles were hurled, and two Ukrainians accused of carrying prohibited weapons.
And the tension was evident as rival groups gathered in bars, with a handful of Russians briefly throwing chairs and bottles at England fans who were chanting taunts.
"If the English are brave enough to come, we'll crush them. We hate the English," one Russian supporter told AFP. But another Russian fan, Stanislav, said: "We are here for the game, not for the conflict."
"There were three cases of brawls between small groups starting between midnight and 1.00 am but these were quickly broken up," said a French Police spokesman.
Authorities in the country say they expect between 40,000 and 50,000 England and Wales fans and 15,000 Russians to gather in Lille with a smaller number of Slovak supporters.
An alcohol ban has been imposed on the city, and nearby Lens, with bars closing at midnight on Tuesday and again before the England game. Sales of alcohol in supermarkets have also been restricted.
Kaveh Solhekol, reporting for Sky Sports News HQ in Lille, witnessed the disturbances between Russia, England and Wales supporters at a bar on the Place de la Gare, in the centre of the city.
He said: "There was drinking and singing but nothing out of the ordinary. Then out of nowhere several Russian fans approached the England fans and there was some gesturing.
"I could see chairs thrown, the police moved in, the bar manager intervened and five to 10 minutes later, two Russian fans were surrounded by French riot police and were soon handcuffed and driven away."
One of those arrested dropped a gumshield before entering the police van. Last weekend Russian troublemakers in Marseille were seen wearing these mouth protectors, martial arts gloves and carrying knives.
However, in the nearby city of Lens, Sky Sports News HQ reporter Geraint Hughes found the atmosphere between rivals fans altogether more convivial.
Supporters of England and Wales were clearly in good spirits as they enjoyed each other's company at a makeshift campsite on the eve of their massive Group B showdown on Thursday afternoon.
Fans, who set up camp at a municipal car park - complete with showers and WCs - shared drinks and breakfasted together after arriving on cross-channel ferries late on Tuesday evening;.
However, their stay at the 'five-star site' could be short-lived as, despite being given permission by the mayor's office to base themselves there, police have politely asked them to move to an airfield 5km away to allow the car park to be used by UEFA on Thursday.
