Polish PM slams Chelsea and Real Betis fans brawl in Poland
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has condemned fierce clashes which erupted among British and Spanish football fans ahead of Conference League final due on Wednesday evening in the southwestern Polish city of Wroclaw.
"Zero tolerance for violence on our streets," he wrote on Wednesday, commenting on Tuesday’s police interventions during a fight between fans of the Spanish Real Betis and the English Chelsea London football teams.
Tusk thanked the police for a quick reaction and warned that if necessary, the police will be even more severe on Wednesday.
On Tuesday evening, groups of fans started a brawl on two of Wroclaw's main squares. They were throwing chairs from nearby beer gardens at one another.
Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak also commented on the brawl.
"Unfortunately, the fans of both teams visiting from abroad behaved terribly and we were forced to use police forces," he told reporters.
He appealed to the fans of both teams "to respect the fact that this is a final, a great sporting event, and not a place for hooligans," and added that "the police will respond very decisively to any violation of the law and any threat."
The spokesman for the the local police force, Lukasz Dutkowiak, said on Tuesday that the officers reacted "immediately after the incident", which prevented "the conflict and negative behaviour from escalating".
"The fans scattered in different directions and currently police officers of the criminal division are conducting activities aimed at identifying them," he added.
One, the most aggressive fan, a 31-year-old Spanish citizen was arrested on Tuesday evening.
On Wednesday morning, three other Spanish citizens were arrested for stealing UEFA Conference League Final flags from a pole.
They are now in custody waiting for accelerated court hearings to be held on Thursday," said Monika Kaleta from the local police force said.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday afternoon, Dutkowiak reported that earlier that day there had been more scuffles on Wroclaw's Market Square between football fans from Spain and England, who also threw bottles and objects at one another.
Police used stun grenades and a water cannon to disperse the fighting hooligans. (PAP)
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