Riot police disperse England fans in Lille

Simply by Alastair Macdonald and Philip O'Connor
LILLE, France, June 15 (Reuters) - France riot police charged and used tear gas to disperse rowdy English football fans in Lille on Wednesday, though the north city was spared feared clashes with Russian followers.



During the day, police said, thirty six individuals were arrested for different offences as Russia lost to Slovakia in Lille and England prepared in order to play Wales in the same Euro 2016 team in nearby Lens on Thursday.

There have been worries of violence in the northern between Russian and English fans after they experienced clashed when their groups met in the the southern part of associated with Marseille on Saturday.
In the event, few Russians were in evidence on the particular streets of Lille after their team's 2-1 defeat in an afternoon fitting and the main problems in the evening had been caused by English fans chanting outside bars within groups of up to 200, watched by police.

At night, as the ancient centre of Lille filled with local people loading home from a screening from the French team's success over Albania, confrontations among small groups of followers prompted riot forces in order to intervene, chasing fans along streets, using pepper spray, dog handlers and acoustic grenades.

There is little bodily violence and the authorities said only 16 people involved in some way in the European football tournament were treated in Lille hospitals throughout Wed.
A game of cat-and-mouse click the following website page, as England supporters managed to move on to gather elsewhere plus sing defiantly at law enforcement, eventually broke up within the small hours because fans drifted off within anticipation of the online game against Wales in Zoom lens at 3 p. meters. (1300 GMT) on Thurs.

Violence in the Mediterranean port of Marseille before and after England's 1-1 draw with Russia, including a charge in the particular stadium by Russian followers following the final whistle, offers seen the hosts associated with the 2018 World Mug warned by organisers UEFA that the country's team will be disqualified if there is a repeat of this kind of disorder.

Reuters journalists noticed at least three Russians detained by police in Lille before the match up, apparently after having already been identified as suspects within the Marseille trouble.
During the particular game against Slovakia, the flare went off within the stands among Ruskies supporters after Russia scored late onto give the particular team's fans hope associated with salvaging a draw. Yet UEFA officials indicated that the incident would not really trigger disqualification.

UEFA furthermore warned England that the repetition of fans' violent behaviour could see the particular team expelled. There is simply no immediate reaction from EUROP�ISCHER FU�BALLVERBAND, European soccer's governing entire body, to the events in Lille, where police mentioned they had "saturated" the particular city with nearly 4, 000 officers and limited alcohol sales.

England fans complained that this police experienced been heavy handed. "Shame, " some shouted in the heavily armoured causes.



However, the authorities experienced clearly decided to keep back from making mass arrests among noisy and disruptive groups. (Additional reporting by Pierre Savary plus John Irish; Writing by Alastair Macdonald; Editing by Bill Rigby)