The city saw violent clashes involving Russians over the weekend. Only nine people were detained by police overnight, she said, all in connection with minor incidents of drunkenness.
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“They broke the camera and the cable connecting it. We were assaulted because we were the only non-English people there, not football fans and there were no police or other reporters”, Branco noted.
The independent UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body handed the Russian Football Union a fine of 50,000 euros ($168,000) and placed the Russian team under suspended disqualification – accusing Russian fans with crowd disturbances, racist behavior and setting off fireworks within the Stade Velodrome.
Russian Federation played Slovakia at the stadium outside Lille in a match on Wednesday afternoon, while England was to take on Wales at nearby Lens on Thursday.
Many hardcore fans hold nationalist views and are strong supporters of Russia’s foreign policy in the Ukraine crisis.
Marseille’s prosecutor said information from Russian police had helped catch the hooligans. In the event of future demonstrations, they could take to the streets as “groups of pro-Kremlin fighters”, Baunov argues.
The English, once considered the epitome of soccer hooliganism, are now weaker than they were before, he said.
Fans poured into the bars near the station, some staked out more by English, some more by Welsh fans, although early signs were of the two sets of supporters happily mingling.
In Lille, police pinned a man against the ground.
French police “demanded that they get off the bus for document and identification checks”, Lavrov told parliament. “Behave responsibly, come and enjoy the game, but just have a think about the wider position”.
Shprygin is also a former leader of a hardcore Dynamo Moscow fan group and has been accused of involvement with far-right and racist groups by Yudina’s Sova Center and Fare, an anti-discrimination group affiliated with UEFA. One Frenchman will also face trial. France beat Albania 2-0 in another of Wednesday’s games.
French authorities in Lille said police made 16 arrests, including six Russians involved in violence on Saturday last week in Marseille.
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The French interior ministry also disclosed details of the policing operation throughout the first week of Euro 2016, saying 323 people had been detained, 196 jailed, eight convicted and 24 expelled from the country.
