LILLE, France, June 15 French riot police charged groups of rowdy, chanting English soccer fans on Wednesday night, on the eve of England’s Euro 2016 game against Wales.
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A group of about 200 English fans had been getting progressively rowdier and noisier, singing songs taunting Russian Federation, when a loud explosion is heard and some bottles are thrown.
French authorities say police made 36 arrests Wednesday in Lille in a largely peaceful day interspersed with bursts of crowd trouble and a few fights.
The sound of stun grenades could be heard and the authorities used pepper spray and tear gas to disperse the fans, some of whom threw bottles and shouted abuse at the police.
England and Wales clash in nearby Lens on Thursday.
Reuters journalists saw at least three Russians detained by police in Lille before the match, apparently after having been identified as suspects in the Marseille trouble.
Away from the main square a group of England fans, who were comparatively quiet, were surrounded by police as they drank outside Cafe Oz.
On Tuesday, Russian and British fans skirmished at a bar and a train station in Lille.
The flare set off by Russian fans after Glushakov’s goal could prove problematic for the federation, which has been threatened with disqualification from Euro 2016 by UEFA if there is further misbehavior by its fans in stadiums.
Glushakov nearly found an equaliser at the death as the Slovakians held on for all three points to move level with Wales at the top of Group B, leaving Russian Federation on a single point.
The Slovaks appeared to be heading towards a comfortable victory but the game changed direction dramatically in the last 10 minutes.
The French police action in Lille followed violent clashes between Russian Federation and England fans in Marseille ahead of their European Championship opener, a 1-1 draw on Saturday night.
By early afternoon there had only been seven arrests for public disorder.
“Two of the Russians were arrested yesterday evening during a fight in Lille and two after being found drunk in a auto with weapons”, a representative at the Lille prefecture said, according to Reuters.
Fans from both nations mingled just outside the stadium and were taking pictures together.
The city’s security operation involves more than 2,000 officers.
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They were eventually chased by French riot police before becoming involved in a tense stand-off with offices.
