England fans have been embroiled in fresh clashes with police and rival supporters in Marseille ahead of the team’s opening match of Euro 2016.
The supporter is tended to by a friend as another man beckons to the authorities for help after the attack by Russian fans in MarseilleAn English fan is led away by plain clothed police amid disgraceful scenes in Marseille before England’s opening Euro 2016 matchPolice fire tear gas at the charging supporters as they tried to disperse fans who had gathered in large numbers in the Old PortA topless England fan hurls a bottle towards police personnel as supporters clashed amid disgraceful and horrifying scenes in MarseilleThe England fans hurled bottles at the opposition supporters as the atmosphere turned violent ahead of the match this eveningIt was a scene of chaos on the Marseille streets prior to England’s Group B match against Russia today as the two sets of fans clashedThe same fan is led away by police following the clashes with Russian hooligans in the Old Port District in Marseille todayThe England fan – soaked in blood – is put in a police van as police tried to quell the violence that has overshadowed tonight’s matchThere were England and Russian fans seen fighting for the third successive day this afternoon, ahead of their opening game of Euro 2016A bloodied English fan is detained by police after supporters clashed with Russian hooligans in Marseille this eveningA chair was thrown through the air as violence continue to overshadow England’s opening match of the Euro 2016 tournamentEnglish and Russian fans squared off with one another as trouble continue to flare in Marseille’s Old Port district this afternoonAn England fan has CPR performed on him by riot police after he suffers head injuries caused by Russian fans on the third day of violence in MarseilleTear gas was fired at English fans in the Old Port district as police battled to separate the two sets of supportersA group of topless English supporters gesture at the Russian fans as riot police had to separate the two sets of rival fansAn English fan is detained by French security personnel in Marseille as the square was left resembling a war zoneAn English fan was knocked unconscious following the attack on the supporters by Russian football hooligansAn England fan clashes with police in Marseille as violence in the city entered its third day – England play Russia in their first game laterA chair is hurled at riot police officers as violence between warring supporters continues into the night on the streets of MarseilleA cafe is engulfed in flames as English fans were targeted while drinking on the terrace of cafe on the streets of Marseille last nightBattle of Marseille: England fans clashed with police and local gangs after a match against Tunisia during France ’98 World Cup
The latest violence follows two nights of trouble in the coastal city.
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Police used tear gas for a third day on Saturday, as footage also showed bottles being thrown and bloodied fans being given medical treatment.
Labour’s Andy Burnham said England fans’ behaviour was “embarrassing” given the terrorism threat to France.
BBC News correspondent Nick Eardley, who is at the scene on Saturday, said bottles were being thrown “every couple of minutes” and described the situation as “pretty terrifying”, as fans also fought with Russian supporters.
Six arrested
He said he had witnessed bloodied England fans being “dragged away by police”, to the sound of sirens blaring out across the city’s main square.
A water cannon was also used by police to control the outbreaks of violence.
Police told the BBC that six people had been arrested and five had been injured during the scuffles.
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Local police chief Laurent Nunez told AFP news agency: “Police intervened in a clash between English, Russian and French supporters in the Vieux-Port district.”
Some British journalists in the area have described the shocking scenes on social media, and pointed the finger at a gang of black-clad Russian hooligans, who they said had entered the port city’s main square from a side street seeking violence.
Fans are in the southern port city ahead of England’s game against Russia at the Stade Velodrome, which kicks off at 20:00 BST. The team’s following two matches – against Wales on Thursday and Slovakia on 20 June – will be played in Lens and St Etienne. BBC
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