At least 20 people have been taken to hospital after English and Russian football fans clashed with each other and with French riot police in the French port city of Marseille. AP news agency reported late on Saturday that Russian fans attacked their English rivals inside the stadium, straight after their countries' opening match ended in a dramatic 1-1 draw. After the final whistle of the match at the Stade Velodrome, Russian supporters were seen storming a section of the ground housing England fans, causing them to flee. Video footage and still images posted on social media also showed people running towards one side of the stadium in order to escape. During the match, flares were also fired from a section seating Russian fans.
Violence had already broken out prior to the match, with some wielding cafe tables as weapons, in a third day of violence along the narrow streets leading off Marseille's old port. Police made at least six arrests on Saturday, adding to the nine from Friday, and those charged could face trial as early as Monday. Footage of one incident shows a man smashing a chair against another man, who then fell off a concrete flight of steps. Marseille's emergency services said among those who were injured were one middle-aged man who was knocked unconscious, while one England supporter suffered a heart attack.
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