Shooting at PSG game

[andysama]

Didn't hear anything about this

 

 

AP

PARIS: A plainclothes police officer who shot to death a Paris soccer fan as he and a supporter of an Israeli club were under attack by a gang of hoodlums likely acted in self-defense, the Paris prosecutor said Friday.

 

 

French authorities, led by President Jacques Chirac, condemned the racially based violence that has been a constant backdrop among supporters of Paris Saint-Germain and erupted into a deadly incident after the Thursday night UEFA cup match between Paris Saint-Germain and Hapoel Tel Aviv.

 

 

One man was killed and another seriously injured, apparently with a single shot in the skirmish in which some PSG supporters shouted racial epithets.

 

 

The officer, originally from the Caribbean, was trying to protect a French Jew from the gang of PSG supporters, officials said.

 

 

Prosecutor Jean-Claude Marin said a judicial investigation would be formally opened Saturday for "voluntary injury leading to unintentional death" but that the transport police officer, identified as Antoine Granomort, likely fired his gun in legitimate defense.

 

 

He was confronted with "a horde ... of extremely excited, extremely violent and extremely aggressive people," Marin said on France-Info radio. The officer's aggressors were 50 centimeters to one meter (two to three feet) away when a single shot was fired, Marin said, apparently citing the police officer's account.

 

 

The prosecutor's office identified the dead man as 24-year-old Julien Quemener.

 

 

Granomort has been questioned about how the incident unfolded to determine when he fired and under what circumstances.

 

 

"They were shouting 'filthy Jew' and when they saw our colleague, who comes from the Caribbean, they also yelled, 'filthy black, we're going to get you," said Luc Poignant, a police union official.

 

 

Chirac condemned the racist remarks as "shameful."

 

 

They "inspire a feeling not only of condemnation, not only of stupefaction ? but also of horror," the president said at a summit meeting in Italy.

 

 

Police said the two men who were shot were members of PSG's far-right fan base that has a notorious violent and racist history.

 

 

Some 200 members of the group, the Boulogne Boys, met outside the Parc des Princes stadium Friday night to issue a call for calm.

 

 

"We are, of course, appalled by what happened and call for calm from all Parisian supporters," a statement handed out by the group said.

 

 

Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy said some PSG fans shouted "Death to the Jew" as they attacked the Hapoel fan. The police officer responded with tear gas, but was knocked to the ground by a blow to the head and kick to the stomach, Sarkozy said. He then drew his gun and opened fire.

 

 

"Two men fell to the ground, of which one died from his wounds, while the other suffered a lung injury," Sarkozy said.

 

 

The Paris prosecutor said the PSG supporters had made Nazi salutes and shouted, "Le Pen, president," a reference to Jean-Marie Le Pen, leader of the extreme-right National Front party.

 

 

Le Pen accused Marin of "complicity in defamation" and warned his party would sue anyone who links it to the incident.

 

 

The police officer and the Hapoel fan, Yanniv Hazout, eventually sought refuge in a nearby fast-food restaurant until police reinforcements arrived, officials said.

 

 

A statement issued by Hazout's mother said her son "adored" both teams and said she was "so happy that he was protected by a police officer."

 

 

While Britain has had considerable success in eradicating racially based violence, tougher punishments for hooligans have failed to solve the problem in France.

 

 

French Sports Minister Jean-Francois Lamour denounced the "climate of tension and violence at certain soccer matches."

 

 

Lawmaker Claude Goasguen demanded hooligan groups be disbanded. The incident "shames soccer, shames PSG and shames Paris," he said.

 

 

Overt racism has become increasingly common at PSG's Parc de Princes stadium, with insults and monkey chants often directed at black players. Hooligan gangs also often look to fight black and Arab members of multiethnic rival gangs at the stadium during games.

 

 

Violence has affected other clubs. Marseille will host Auxerre on Jan. 24 in an empty stadium after a firefighter lost two fingers picking up an explosive that a fan threw on the field on Oct. 29.

 

 

Hapoel won Thursday's Group G match 4-2 against PSG.

 

article: here

[Coyler]

Awful story.

 

Cue hand-wringing from England-fan apologists, "if that was in England..."

[Ostrich Man]

the peeler wouldnt have a gun.

[Dee]

the scarier thing is the PSV fans going at each other - one end is the far right skin head faction and at the other end of the ground are the multi-racial fans - who kick ten shades of shyte outta each other when they can

[anfield]

Its wrong to say this but I wish he had fired a couple more shots.....

[Kahnee]

How long before Blair apologises for this as well?