While the Euro Cup is in full swing and fans all over the world are celebrating the victories of their favourite teams, it turned into a horror story for the people of Marseille and Nice. Violence broke out between England and Russian fans soon after the match ended, leaving dozens injured. The two teams have even been given a warning that if the violence continues, both the teams will be kicked out of the tournament! We ask people about their thoughts on the same.
The point of tournaments like these is to create an atmosphere of festivity where people can celebrate safely. During all of this, over a 1000 police officers were deployed to secure the game, ruining the spirit of it. “It is causing trouble for the French police that have got other things to worry about. Unfortunately, what we seen is a level of criminality from others including organised Russian gangs and locals, changing the scene totally,” the FA’s chief is reported to have said. “Have a drink, cheer for them and be respectful of other people present. There is no need to be brash and throw insults at the other team if they’re on a winning streak,” says Akshay Gururaj, a football enthusiast. But it’s not the first time that a mob has struck during a competitive sport. Security measures like banning alcohol, creating enclosures for fans, etc have been introduced do deter such incidents. But will they help According to Sowmya, a Bengaluru-based psychologis, banning alcohol won’t make a difference. “Mob behaviour has little to do with alcohol consumption. It’s more about being influenced by their peers. One man gets too involved and can throw a glass to show his frustration which in turn stirs up the whole crowd. When people are in a group, they often loose self awareness and are less likely to follow inhibitions. And the bigger the mob, more members engage in dangerous behaviour,” she adds.
