Serb soccer fans turn to violence

At about 6 p.m. Aug. 20, hundreds of Red Star Belgrade fans were involved in running battles with police throughout central Prague ahead of their team's Europa League qualifier against Slavia that night.

The morning after, a local restaurant owner was coming to terms with the mayhem of the night before. His staff was busy tidying up what looked like a small battlefield.

"They smashed tables, threw chairs, broke glasses, rampaged through our restaurant. It was like a scene from a war movie," Pavel Sedláček said.

The ornate U Veselé basy restaurant is situated on what became a strategic location for police trying to corral the rampaging fans.

"The police were obviously making sure [the fans] did not get to Můstek station or Rytířská street, so they closed off the exits to these locations. Our restaurant is right in the middle, in a little lane. It was busy with about 50 tourists at the time having a drink or eating a meal. The fans came, overturned tables, spilling food everywhere. People were screaming, running in panic. All the tourists left, seeking safety behind police lines. Then the fans threw chairs, broke glasses and started attacking the police."

Sedláček shook his head as he recalled the chaos.

"So, we had police at both ends with about 250 fans in the middle. Some fans tried to make a getaway. They ran through the restaurant, into the kitchen and out the back. But the buildings there have balconies, so the fans jumped on cars to gain access to the balconies; the police followed, and, because there were no exits from the balconies, were able to arrest them. Meanwhile, out front, the fans were attacking the police with chairs and anything they could lay their hands on. It was terrible. The only good thing is that no one seems to have been seriously injured, though there was blood on the streets."

Despite the efforts of his staff, Sedláček said he'd have to keep his restaurant closed for a few days.

"We have to get new chairs and tables, and repair the damage. In terms of costs, I would say the damage is in the region of 150,000 Kč [$8,352]. But, and I say this again, no one was seriously injured, at least that I saw, which is the most important thing."

Trouble had been brewing the day before. On Aug. 19, 29 Red Star fans were expelled from the country shortly after crossing the Czech border after they were caught stealing goods at a gas station in south Moravia that they then attempted to set on fire.

By Thursday, the day of the match, police had set up a special team to deal with the hooligans in Prague.

In all, 126 hooligans were taken into custody. Of these, 109 were fined for disrupting public order. They were handed over to the Foreigners' Police and deported. Of the 17 others, 12 were charged with attacking police, four for serious public offenses and one with spraying graffiti.

The chargé d'affaires of the Serbian Embassy in Prague confirmed that they were in active consultation with the police. "We are definitely providing all the help we can. We are cooperating with the police. We monitor the situation, and we help."

But she did not think this particular incident was too serious.

"We are sorry this happened; it should not have happened, and it is a pity. The incident, however, did not cross the unbearable line, and it is normal in Europe, in Serbia and even in the Czech Republic. That does not mean we would like to excuse these acts."

A police spokesperson who did not want to be identified said the hooligans were not just drunken youths. "They were all men, from their mid-20s up. They had no knives or weapons except for broken glass. Generally speaking, most felt embarrassed and ashamed about what they did once they spent a night or two in a jail cell. But some are facing serious criminal charges and could be sentenced to long jail terms here."

There are five Czech teams seeking Europa League places; two, Sparta and Slavia, are Prague-based. The format of the league will be known next month. Police say fans of visiting international teams to Prague will be closely monitored.

Tom Clifford can be reached at
tclifford@praguepost.com