Euro 2012: Football fans in Warsaw clash (Russia - Poland match)

BBC ^ | 12 June 2012 | Alex Capstick

[Cronos]

A march ahead of the match by thousands of Russian fans to mark their national day had to be halted and some missiles were thrown.

Police say they arrested at least 120 people and that 10 people were injured.

A heavy police presence was in evidence around the stadium after the match as further clashes broke out.

... Controversial history
Russia annexed most of Poland in the 19th Century and ruled it for more than 100 years. The Soviet Union dominated it during the Cold War, after World War II.

The conservative Polish opposition condemned the march as a provocation, but it was approved by the authorities.

The Russian national holiday marks Russia's declaration of sovereignty in 1990 - a key episode in the demise of the Soviet Union.

Polish media highlighted fears that some Russian fans may sport Soviet flags and symbols - a highly sensitive issue for the many Poles who deplored communist rule.

Polish media highlighted fears that some Russian fans may sport Soviet flags and symbols - a highly sensitive issue for the many Poles who deplored communist rule.

European football's governing body Uefa has opened disciplinary proceedings against Russia after a series of incidents involving the country's fans at Euro 2012.

Anti-racist monitors at the match said a section of the crowd racially abused the Czech Republic's only black player, Theodor Gebre Selassie....

[Cronos]

the Russian march WAS provocative (I'm in Warsaw and was at the Strefa Kibiców (Fan-zone) yesterday) and on Nowy Świat. Didn't see any of the violence, but it was pretty minor -- no injuries, just bruises and the police cracked down quick and hard

the Russian fans were waving Russian Tsarist flags -- a pretty obvious provocation. And some kibicy were chanting "raz sierpem, raz młotem czerwoną hołotę" -- "a sickle,a hammer red" The march should never have been allowed.

But it was really not as big as portrayed -- the Polish fans were peaceful by and large and the atmosphere at the centre (Centrum) and the main streets in the heart of the older part of town (Nowy Świat) was festival like -- a sea of red-white (the Polish national colors) and the fans were delirious with joy when the Poles drew with the Russians.

[Cronos]

Note --> 4 July is also the 402nd anniversary of the Polish-Lithuanian defeat of Muscowy when they conquered and entered the city of Moscow. Tsar Vasily IV was ousted by the boyars and Żółkiewski entered Moscow with little opposition.[1] Boyars then proclaimed as the new Tsar of Muscovy the Polish prince of the Commonwealth Władysław IV Waza

[21twelve]

I was watching some younger guys play the soccer video game. Pretty amazing how life-like it is, announcers commenting on the plays, crowd noise, etc.

I asked if they ever show any of the rioting after the game. Glad it wasn’t too bad - just the “yutes” draining off some excess adrenalin. Sounds like a great match.

[Berlin_Freeper]

Russian fans arrive under heavy security prior to the Euro 2012 soccer championship Group A match between Poland and Russia in Warsaw, Poland, Tuesday, June 12, 2012.

Polish soccer fans shout at Russian supporters as they walk protected by Polish riot police in Warsaw June 12, 2012. Russia on Tuesday will play Poland in their Euro 2012 Group A soccer tournament in Warsaw. REUTERS

Polish football fans beat a Russian football fan during clashes in Warsaw. Police used tear gas and water cannon against brawling football fans in Warsaw on Tuesday as Poland geared up to play old foe Russia in a key Euro 2012 duel. AFP

A handcuffed Polish fan lies flat on the street prior to the Euro 2012 soccer championship Group A match between Poland and Russia in Warsaw, Poland, Tuesday, June 12, 2012. Russian soccer fans clashed with police and Poland supporters in separate incidents in Warsaw on Tuesday, just hours before the two teams were to meet in an emotionally charged European Championship match. Several people were injured. AP

A Polish soccer shows a wound from a rubber bullet during clashes with police and Russian fans in Warsaw, June 12, 2012. Russia on Tuesday will play Poland in their Euro 2012 Group A soccer tournament in Warsaw. REUTERS

[The KG9 Kid]

There’s numerous reasons that the USA doesn’t embrace what the rest of the world calls ‘football’, and these violent mutant fans are one of the biggest.

If the USA were ever to become a serious contender in World Cup/FIFA/Association Football (or however it is known), chances are that someday the United States’ turn would come around to host a championship event. That would mean that we’d have to allow hundreds of thousands of football fans from all over the planet to visit the USA, and that just isnt going to happen.

There is no goddamned way we’re about to let thousands of potato-headed Slavic mutant vandals from Russia come here and march drunkenly through the streets. That goes likewise for Portuguese and Latvians and Yemenis and Ecuadoreans and Khazakhis and Bulgarians and so on. The bastards would never ever leave once they got here. We’d host one world soccer tournament and instantly be sorry that we agreed to it.

[Cronos]

are you following the matches? Today is the big one — Nederlands v/s Deutschland!

[KC_Conspirator]

There is no goddamned way we’re about to let thousands of potato-headed Slavic mutant vandals from Russia come here and march drunkenly through the streets.

Uh, but we will allow them to protest Bush and Republicans doing the same thing; OR even worse, allow them to sit in our streets like Occupy and create a rat infested, drug riddled, crime camp like they did here in DC.

Just to note, we hosted 1994 World Cup.

This whole incident goes back to the historically poor treatment that Russians have given to the Poles. The list is too long to go over.

[Cronos]

err.. the USA already hosted the World Cup -- in 1994 it went off pretty well..

[Berlin_Freeper]

YES!

[The KG9 Kid]

We hosted world cup soccer? huh, I guess we did at that. I lived in Los Angeles at the time.

So he visitors must have pretty much only been the politicians from those nations, right? I don’t recall any of these toothless mutants waving Nazi flags visiting.

[Berlin_Freeper]

secret weapon

[Berlin_Freeper]

Soctics League HD Review

[wildandcrazyrussian]

Not to mention that the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth conquered and ruled large parts of Russia from 1380 (not by coincidence, the year that the Russian first succeeded in defeating the Mongols but were thereby weakened against military incursions from the west) and it took 400 years to get back those ares from Polish rule.

Poland ruled some parts of Russian for centuries longer (1380 - 1762/1795) than Russia ever ruled parts of Poland (1762/1795 to 1918, the same period that Austria and Germany ruled the other 2/3 of Poland!)

Also, people still remember the Polish massacres in Galich and Kostroma, north of Moscow, as part of the 1610 takeover of Russia.

Poland has been pretty successful in getting Western acceptance of their one-sided presentation of history, when it is far more symmetrical over time than most people know.

[Berlin_Freeper]

Dutch in disarray

[raybbr]

...and these violent mutant fans are one of the biggest.

Are you talking about the violence after a World Series, NBA championship, Super Bowl...? Just asking...!

[Caulkhead]

“So he visitors must have pretty much only been the politicians from those nations, right? I don’t recall any of these toothless mutants waving Nazi flags visiting.”

The toothless mutants tend to stay near home - they’re only causing trouble because of where the event is, it tends not to transfer to another continent.

[Caipirabob]

#11 LMAO!!! I am so stealing this...

[The KG9 Kid]

Darn you people that keep making good points against me in this thread.

[Cronos]

well, technically there was no "Russia" but "russias" -- even the Tsar's title was "Tsar of the Russias" -- while it was Muscowy which conquered the various Rus entities

Remember that the Muscowite ruler slaughterd the people of Novgorod and eradicated the language of the Ukrainians and Białorussians

The lands to the west of Muscowy -- the Białorussian and Western Ukrainian lands were not and are not Russian but Ruthenian, or more properly one branch of the East slavs separate from Muscowy

[Cronos]

well, technically there was no "Russia" but "russias" -- even the Tsar's title was "Tsar of the Russias" -- while it was Muscowy which conquered the various Rus entities

Remember that the Muscowite ruler slaughterd the people of Novgorod and eradicated the language of the Ukrainians and Białorussians

The lands to the west of Muscowy -- the Białorussian and Western Ukrainian lands were not and are not Russian but Ruthenian, or more properly one branch of the East slavs separate from Muscowy