Russian Football Fans Join Forces to Protest Police Violence

Moscow, Dec 9 (AFP) Russian football fans came together in a rare show of unity this weekend to protest police violence as scores of hardcore supporters staged walkouts across matches in the top division.

The leading supporters' group at Spartak Moscow called for the boycott on Friday, urging fans to leave the ground in the 30th minute.

The protest was launched in response to incidents ahead of last week's fixture between Zenit and Spartak, when 150 to 200 fans were arrested in Saint Petersburg.

The "Fratria" group, the association behind the boycott, in a statement denounced them as "arbitrary arrests, without explanations".

While the supporters of the two clubs are known for their animosity and the match was considered one at risk, no acts of violence had been reported at the time.

A witness, cited by the R-Sport news agency, recounted "police raids in bars and in the city streets. The people living in Moscow were arrested and taken to police stations where they were accused of hooliganism."

Among the supporters detained, the head of another Spartak fan group was issued an 18-month stadium ban for insults towards Zenit and Russia forward Artem Dzyuba.

While the hooligan movement caused running street battles in the 1990s, authorities have tackled the problem head on in recent years.

Violent clashes are far less common and often restricted to small groups in isolated locations, but supporters say there is growing pressure from authorities.

"The World Cup has taken place, and the powers that be have only reinforced the pressure on fans by using suppression methods that are more and more cynical," said a CSKA Moscow fan group, in support of their Spartak counterparts.

"What happened in Saint Petersburg is simply the breaking point," a member of the "Fratria" group told AFP. "Before that loads of supporters of different teams had already been subjected to incomprehensible acts from police representatives."

The boycott was followed by all of the clubs in the Russian Premier League and also received the support of Zenit coach Sergei Semak, who said it was "a call to constructive dialogue with the authorities". (AFP)

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