Seven Serbia fans arrested after violent mass brawl ahead of Euro 2024 opener with England
Two hundred German riot police rushed to break up the clashes, hours after officers shot a man in Hamburg for making threats with a pick axe near a fan zone
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Your support makes all the difference.Seven people were arrested after clashes broke out between fans of rival teams England and Serbia just hours before the teams’ opening game.
The first weekend of Euro 2024 was marred by violence after fans were left bloodied as tables were thrown and glasses smashed during the carnage outside the Aleppo bar in the city of Gelsenkirchen.
One football supporter was pictured with blood streaming down his face.
A Gelsenkirchen police spokesman told the BBC seven Serbian citizens were taken into custody.
It comes just hours after a shooting in Hamburg that saw a man taken to hospital. He was shot by police after he threatened officers with a pick axe and an incendiary device.
The incident occurred on the sidelines of a fan parade in the St Pauli district, ahead of Poland’s game against the Netherlands in their first match of the tournament.
Did you see what happened? Email holly.evans@independent.co.uk
Later on Sunday, Serbs were attacked with projectiles as 200 German riot police rushed to the scene to break up the large-scale brawl, which one witness described as “premeditated”.
One English fan who saw the incident said a group of men in balaclavas “ran around the corner and started throwing bottles”.
“I ran away, and the next thing I saw was the tables being smashed and chairs being thrown,” the fan, who gave his name as Larry, added.
One man, reportedly from Birmingham, sustained a head wound during the fight, according to the Sunday Mirror.
Former England striker Stan Collymore posted a picture of a man covered in blood on the social media site X accompanied by the message: “Police vans en masse in Gelsenkirchen centre now. Kicking off in tiny groups.
It comes ahead of the Three Lions’ opening fixture against Serbia in Group C, which is set to kick off at 8pm tonight.
Another eyewitness told Mail Online: “There was a sudden burst of violence. It came out of nowhere. It was unclear who started what. But to me it seemed like a group of fans rushed the bar where Serbs were drinking, and it all kicked off, with tables, chairs and bottles thrown.
“One man had blood pouring from a head wound – he was English I believe.”
Eyewitnesses said “everything you can imagine” was thrown at the Serbia supporters, while it has been reported that Albanian fans were also involved in the initial brawl.
Videos circulating online show skirmishes as “tables, chairs, glass bottles” were all “thrown and smashed in a side street just off the main square”.
Police can be seen chasing those involved and breaking up individual tussles, while one fan can be seen being kicked on the ground before officers intervene.
A mother and son enjoying their regular Sunday routine of coffee opposite the scene said they were sitting on the first floor when “all of a sudden bits of food and bottles started being thrown”.
Beate Rafrlkski, 66, added: “They have had too much beer I expect – there’s too much emotion. We were anxious the trouble was going to spread to inside the cafe.”
A Gelsenkirchen police spokesperson said: “We can confirm that there was a physical altercation between several people in the south of the city of Gelsenkirchen.
“The police are on site with sufficient personnel and have the situation under control. We cannot confirm at this point whether the altercation was football-related or which nationalities were involved.”
There have also been further reports and videos circulating of England fans singing “10 German bombers”, defying warnings from German police.
The clashes come after footage emerged of a man being shot near a Euro 2024 fan park in Hamburg. Officers opened fire when he refused to put down his pick axe.
Dressed all in black and carrying a rucksack, he was seen shouting and bellowing at officers in the popular Reeperbahn district, which was crowded with football supporters.
After turning his back, the man was doused in pepper spray before armed police leapt the barriers in pursuit, with four loud gunshots heard at around 12.30pm.
This was ahead of a Group D clash between Poland and the Netherlands, which is taking place 7km away in the city’s Volksparkstadion as part of the month-long football tournament.
In a statement on social media, the city’s police said: “At St Pauli there is currently a major police operation.
“According to initial findings, a person threatened police officers with a pick axe and an incendiary device. The police then used their firearms.
“The attacker was injured and is currently receiving medical treatment.”
A Gelsenkirchen police spokesman said in a statement: “We can confirm that there was a physical altercation between several people in the south of the city of Gelsenkirchen.
“The police are on site with sufficient personnel and have the situation under control. We cannot confirm at this point whether the altercation was football-related or which nationalities were involved.”
It is not the first violent incident since Euro 2024 began on Friday. A man carrying a knife was shot dead after killing one person and seriously injuring two others shortly after the opening match.
The attacker struck in a garden in the city of Magdeburg, where a family was hosting a private party to watch the German team’s game against Scotland.
German authorities have put police on high alert during the tournament, which runs until 14 July, for fear of possible fan violence and terrorist attacks.
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