Live from Euro 2004
Riot police clash with English
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| An English fan blends into a group of Swedish supporters in central Lisbon early 12 June 2004 ahead of the 2004 European Nations Championship. Host nation Portugal take to the field here Saturday to bring the curtain up on the 31-match European championships when they face rank outsiders Greece. |
Portuguese police arrested 14 people early Tuesday in the Algarve resort town of Albufeira after some 400 mainly English football fans clashed with riot police.
The rioting, the first major disturbance involving English fans since the Euro 2004 finals started Saturday, was only brought under control at around 6 a.m. (0500 GMT), five hours after it began.
Sixteen people were hurt in the melee, none of them seriously, the region's health director told national news agency Lusa. All but three of the injured were British citizens.
One of the injured underwent surgery for a fractured hand while a national guard received three stitches to his forehead.
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| British supporters chant and drink beer 17 June 2000 a few hours before the Euro 2000 first round match between England and Germany in Charleroi. In the overnight violence, an English football fan was seriously injured after being stabbed by a Turk in Charleroi, the Charleroi police said and around 350 fans were arrested in the Belgian capital Brussels after clashes broke out between the fans and groups of immigrant workers and youths. |
The national guards, a militarized police force, said they were attacked by football fans after they were called in to quell disturbances which had broken out at two bars along the main strip of the white-walled town.
Riot police, including a horseback unit, were then called in to help disperse the group of rowdy fans after they blocked traffic and threw glasses, bottles and chairs at police, the national commander of the guards said.
"The national guards tried during a long time to maintain the peace and avoid the use of force but it became inevitable as more and more people started to congregate," said national guard commander Carlos Alves.
"People were throwing objects with greater and greater intensity against the guards and it reached a point where we had to act."
Witnesses said the football fans, many of them who appeared to be under the influence of alcohol, tried to provoke the police.
Nuno Andrade, an employee at a bar located on the main street where the rioting took place, said he saw a man repeatedly taunting a police officer with a St George flag.
"The flag then fell to the ground and some of the English thought it was the police officer that pulled it down and then chairs started to fly," he said.
Police cordoned off several streets in the town center, which is made up of narrow lanes full of bars, and patrolled the area with dogs after gaining control of the situation.
Twelve of those arrested were British citizens, one was Russian and the other was Portuguese. They are scheduled to appear in court Tuesday afternoon.