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Violence vigil
French intelligence braces for nasty turn in violence
Posted: Thursday June 25, 1998 02:15 PM
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German hooligans have already beaten a French policeman into a coma (AP) |
PARIS (AP) -- French authorities Thursday stepped up security around two
high-risk World Cup matches involving Germany and England that
could spark new violence, possibly between hooligans from the two
countries.
Thursday night's Germany-Iran match in the
southern city of Montpellier was under tightened security after German
toughs beat a policeman into a coma outside a match in the northern city of
Lens four days earlier.
Germany's Interior Ministry toughened border checks. An additional 1,000
police were posted along the southwestern border to target hooligans.
German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel was coming to the game and planned
to meet with police authorities to show solidarity against the violence.
Lens imposed a strict alcohol ban and was deploying hundreds more police
ahead of the England-Colombia match
Friday, where some authorities feared the violence could widen to
German-English clashes.
The newspaper Le Monde cited an intelligence memo as saying that German
extremists plan to travel to Lens "to combat the English enemy and try to
gain the title of 'best hooligans of Europe.'"
The interior ministry had no immediate comment on the newspaper report,
and Lens Mayor Andre Delelis said in a statement released today that
security "should be more efficient than it was last Sunday."
A Lens spokeswoman, Isabelle Isaert, insisted "the kids got the message"
when officials jailed several Germans after Sunday's rioting and quickly
sentenced three of them to a year in prison.
But a ministry source privately confirmed the hundreds of police to be
deployed for the match were alerted about the possibility of German-English
clashes.
German police have also privately said they were taking the development
seriously. They stepped up checks of France-bound
motorists by boosting their border force from about 200 to more than 1,000.
Violence has shaken the five-week soccer championship, with clashes
outside stadiums leaving more than 100 injured, a policeman in a coma and
an English fan in critical condition.
French authorities backed by police from participating countries have
cracked down, arresting more than 250 people and deporting a number of
English and German rowdies.
As in some of the other 10 French cities hosting the Cup, Lens on
Wednesday announced its first alcohol restrictions for Friday's match.
Officials banned its sale or possession on the streets from 8 a.m. Friday
to 8 a.m. Saturday.
Five hundred police were beefing up security to 1,200 officers Friday,
along with about 100 in plainclothes. As in other matches, thousands of
fans were coming without tickets -- at least 10,000 English on Friday --
raising concerns of more drunken unrest.
Most of the dozen German police working in France as hooligan-spotters
were being deployed in Lens, German police said on condition of anonymity.
The police are among 180 officers from the 32 nations in the World Cup,
with the largest contingent of 25 from England helping look for fans with a
track record of violence, Le Monde said.
Authorities were also concerned about more violence by French North
African youths after clashes with English fans in Marseille two weeks ago.
Similar violence erupted Monday after the England-Romania match
in Toulouse, where police arrested a dozen local youths carrying baseball
bats.
An English fan was attacked, and remained in intensive care on Wednesday.
The status of Steven James Clarke, 38, of Stourbridge, West Midlands, was
"more reassuring" Wednesday, a hospital statement said.
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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