Euro 2008 clashes spark arrests


Clashes between football fans and police in Austria

Austrian police have detained more than 200 people, mostly Germans, amid violence after Germany's football match with Poland at Euro 2008.

Violence broke out in the southern city of Klagenfurt after Germany won the game there 2-0.

Some German fans shouted Nazi and anti-Semitic slogans, authorities said.

Despite the clashes, Klagenfurt's mayor remained positive and said that the policing had gone smoothly for such a "high-profile" match.

About 80,000 fans had attended the game.

'Sieg Heil'

Wolfgang Rauchegger, police commander for Carinthia province, said there had been skirmishes in the city centre and the arrests were for obstructing police, civil disorder and breach of the peace.

"Unfortunately, as we expected, there were some supporters who came here as troublemakers," Mr Rauchegger said.

"The liaison officers expected that there was a high risk of violent actions by this group, and this is why we surrounded the group and detained them."

Witnesses reported hearing chants of "Sieg Heil" and other Nazi slogans.

Only about a dozen of those arrested were not German. Only two were still being held in custody on Monday.

The city's mayor, Harald Scheucher, praised the police and said the smoothness of the operation sent "a very positive signal for the next two matches that will be played in Klagenfurt".

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7444420.stm

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