BELGIUM: FOOTBALL FANS RIOTING

(17 Jun 2000) Natural Sound

Riot police used water cannons to break up a brawl between English and German fans and arrested dozens on Saturday, hours before the most anticipated - and feared - match at the Euro 2000 soccer championship - the England-Germany tie.

Putting their announced zero-tolerance policy into effect immediately, Belgian intervened when the two groups of fans started throwing tables, chairs and rubbish in the main square at the centre of Charleroi, near the industrial town's stadium.

There were about 15 minutes of high tension, when police fired water cannons at hundreds of fans, washing many off the square and into the narrow nearby streets, where police on horseback gave chase.

Officers on horseback patrolled the square and a police helicopter hovered overhead as an uneasy calm returned.

Police had partitioned the square into separate German and English fan zones.

About two thousand people were in the square, including many who arrived without tickets for the game.

APT

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