Two England fans were arrested after French police used tear gas to quell trouble as hundreds clashed in Marseille last night.
A small group of supporters were involved in a brawl with locals in the French city, with one arrested for assaulting a barman and the other for violent disorder, according to police.
The violence, believed to be outside an English pub in the Old Port district of the city, comes ahead of England’s Euro 2016 Group B opener against Russia in the Stade Velodrome on Saturday.
One fan suffered head injuries after being hit across the face with a wooden chair as riot police with dogs were deployed around midnight on Thursday.
“This was a really nasty attack. The gang knew exactly where we were, and clearly wanted to hurt us,” said England fan Chris Lord, as reported by The Evening Standard.
Inflammatory chanting was reported as chairs were thrown while scuffles broke out between locals and England fans. Ambulances and police with riot shields soon arrived on the scene.
Videos on social media show gas in the air as police attempt to break up fights in the streets while shop workers and restaurateurs lock their doors to stay safe and bystanders look on.
French riot police used tear gas against England fans last night after violence in the city of Marseille #EURO2016 pic.twitter.com/K1QKANZn9e
— UEFA EURO 2016 (@EurosUEFA) June 10, 2016
“Hooligans who are responsible for violence or who cause public disorder will be treated with the utmost rigour, both by the security forces and by the justice system,” said police chief of Bouches-du-Rhône county, Laurent Nunez.
The tournament due to get underway when the hosts take on Romania in Saint- Denis tonight, while Group B starts on Saturday with Wales playing Slovakia before England and Russia clash in the late kick-off.
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