A poilcier behind his shield against English supporters during clashes, June 11, 2016 in Marseille – LEON NEAL AFP

Only a few days of competition and already a man in critical condition. The violent clashes that took place Saturday in Marseille (Bouches-du-Rhône) on the sidelines of the meeting considered at risk
 England’s 35-Russieont injured. street brawls, downtown ransacked, people with blood …
 The scenes, widely shared on social networks, could only strike with terror those who watched them. “We were completely overwhelmed by these hooligans”, has also confessed Jean-Claude Gaudin, Mayor of Marseille on Monday. Bernard Cazeneuve, he denounced “unfair controversy.” So, is the fight against hooliganism well assured? 20 Minutes an update on the situation.



How is the fight against hooliganism during Euro?

It is managed from the Centre international police cooperation (CICC), based in Seine-et-Marne, where are gathered two liaison officers from countries participating in the Euro as well as representatives of the police, Interpol and Europol. The two liaison officers (English, French, Belgian, English …) are in constant contact with six other officers of their nationality, called spotters, who “are responsible for accompanying supporters of their country, and to help local authorities to identify those who might commit disturbing public order, “says Antoine Boutonnet, director of the national fight against hooliganism Division (DNLH). Spotters in each country are accompanied during their local police patrols.



Who are the spotters?

The spotters are police officers that must above all be spotters to remember faces perfectly crossword fans. They also need to adapt to situations as quickly as possible and have a very good knowledge of the customs of their fans: “You must know perfectly the sociology of its supporters and to anticipate with respect to reactions of primers: some fans love to fan walks, others gather in squares or in bars, but not just any “explains Antoine Boutonnet.

are they well prepared?

Their training varies by country. In France for example, there is no specific training for this mission, she gets on the field with colleagues and it takes about a year to have a good knowledge of the supporters of the team that was responsible. Spotters follow all year fans of the championship team. Thus they acquire the necessary knowledge: clothes, tattoos, songs … In other countries, like Hungary for example, the spotters are police officers who manage both the events of all kinds and sporting events .

international cooperation does work well?

it is clear that she seems not to have worked with Russia. Patrick Kanner, Sports Minister has also lamented on Monday the “lack of cooperation” from Russia, who would “never let go” hooligans involved in the violence in Marseille. “There are 150 to 200 Russian hooligans who should be put out of harm’s way,” he added, also stating that “the Russians have to react.” Other countries such as England, confiscated the passports of some hooligans throughout the Euro, thus preventing them from crossing borders. “Did the Russian spotters did their job in Marseille? Their job is to say ‘Beware, these fans are likely to become violent. ” There probably was a flaw in terms of international cooperation between the Russians and the French, “notes Nicolas Hourcade, sociologist of hooliganism.



France is she driven to such disorders?

“hooliganism is a relatively small phenomenon in France except Paris, says Nicolas Hourcade. The French peculiarity is that the police are going rather in contact with supporters and does not have enough experience to sort. This is the main criticism of the English fans on Saturday in clashes between English and Russian. The police sometimes intervened when it was not necessary, and they were not always there when he should have. “Especially since the French police were able to fall into the” Russian trap “:” Russian hooligans are professionals of violence. They are more discreet than English fans that attract much attention. Besides, no Russian is not in custody. “Similarly, the figure of six spotters expected to follow the supporters on the ground may be too low for the Russians, for example. On the 2006 World Cup “in Germany, Polish police were 76 policemen and 72 English says Nicolas Hourcade. We could invite more foreign police of the highest risk countries, including the dangerous groups are clearly identified. “



What measures have been taken since England and Russia?

The Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve asked on Sunday prefects to ban the consumption and transportation of alcohol in “sensitive areas” vigils and game days, as well as the opening days of fan-zones . Many host cities have already announced the setting up of the measure, as Lyon or Toulouse. The police commissioner of the Rhone delta actually explained Monday that “iI have been a lot of alcohol Saturday, and we think the incidents are as much due to the heavy drinking that there was” . For his part, UEFA has threatened Russia and England disqualification in case of new outbursts. “This announcement has the advantage of putting pressure on Russia and could force it to cooperate more,” said Nicolas Hourcade.

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