Post by DBoon21 on Jan 15, 2007 15:22:58 GMT 10
www.smh.com.au/news/tennis/serbs-croats-clash-at-open/2007/01/15/1168709659893.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1
About 150 Serbian, Croatian and Greek fans were ejected from the Australia Open today after ethnic tensions boiled over into violence about 12.30pm.
A fight broke out between the Serbian and Croatian fans in the garden area of Melbourne Park.
Serbs and Croats threw bottles and tried to hit each other with their national flags.
Up to 20 police rushed in to stop the violence.
The Serbians were chanting "Die Croatians, die" in Serbian, and were joined by Greek fans shouting "Greece, Serbia, Greece, Serbia!"
Police calmed the situation by dividing the fans and escorting the groups out of different entrances.
The Greek contingent, who were standing near the Serbs but were not involved in the fighting, were angry that they had been ejected as well.
The Serbian and Croatian groups apparently had an understanding that today would be the Croatians' day to attend the tennis, and the Serbians would attend tomorrow.
A fight was apparently arranged for tonight.
"Monday is our day every year," said a Croatian fan, who identified himself as Cmladen Mrnuaus. "We have to fight back."
Tensions have died down at Melbourne Park since the ejections.
Those ejected were mostly of Serbian background, a Victorian police spokeswoman said.
"They were upsetting the Croatians; 150 people were ejected from the grounds shortly before 1pm. They are believed to be mostly Serbians.
"Earlier the Croatians had gathered in Federation Square, chanting their songs and lighting flares before they made their way to the arena."
No arrests have been made, and at this stage there are no reports of injuries.
Croatian and Serbian players scheduled to play
Several Croatian and Serbian players were scheduled to play on day one of the Open, including Croatian fourth seed Ivan Ljubicic, and the ninth seed, Croat Mario Ancic.
Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis, who attracted enormous Greek support on his way to the final last year, was also slated to play.
The fans, most draped in Serbian, Croatian or Greek national flags, were marched to the front gates and outside onto Swan Street chanting as they were escorted.
Several tried to push back into the crowd on their way out, but were caught and forced back into line by police.
Police pushed Croatian supporters east down Swan Street towards Richmond, while Serbian and Greek supporters were funnelled towards the city.
A Serbian supporter who identified himself as Sasa Alesic said the violence had started out of nowhere.
"It's not fair we've all been chucked out. Even if we didn't start it, or do anything, we get thrown out. It's racist.
"We didn't come here for a fight, we came here for sport."
Police said the stoush began with verbal niggling and soon erupted in physical clashes between the groups. Many members of the groups were clad in Croatian and Serbian flags.
Violence 'disgusting'
Five Croatian fans later slammed the violence as "disgusting".
Marina, 19, Danijela, 19, Ivana, 17, Kristina, 16 and Marija, 20, all from Melbourne, who did not wish to use their last names, said they were watching Croatian star Mario Ancic on court three with other supporters when they heard a Serbian crowd outside chanting abuse at them.
They said most of the Croatian group they were with ran outside to confront the Serbian fans.
"They all went outside the court, it started with just abusing each other verbally and then it got into an actual fight," Marina said.
They saw people punching and kicking each other and accused the Serbian supporters of attacking the Croatians with flag poles.
The girls watched the brawl over the wall of their court for about 15 minutes before dozens of police arrived to break up the violence.
They said after years of going to the tennis, it was the worst thing they had experienced.
They had since heard a friend had been taken to hospital after being hit over the head with a flag pole, but no injuries were immediately confirmed.
"It's bad because you go to the tennis and you go to watch and then it ends up in an actual brawl, it's just ridiculous," Marina said.
"You go to cheer on your actual player, not to go and fight."
They said they also felt police had targeted them.
"I do [think it's discrimination] with the cops because they tend to just stick with us and they did random bag searches and body searches in the actual arena.
"They checked all our bags, made all the guys pull up their shirts."
Police did not check non-Croatian supporters in the same way, they said.
"No, it was just us, it was just the Croatians and everyone else that was there [in show court three] didn't get their bags checked like us."
About 150 Serbian, Croatian and Greek fans were ejected from the Australia Open today after ethnic tensions boiled over into violence about 12.30pm.
A fight broke out between the Serbian and Croatian fans in the garden area of Melbourne Park.
Serbs and Croats threw bottles and tried to hit each other with their national flags.
Up to 20 police rushed in to stop the violence.
The Serbians were chanting "Die Croatians, die" in Serbian, and were joined by Greek fans shouting "Greece, Serbia, Greece, Serbia!"
Police calmed the situation by dividing the fans and escorting the groups out of different entrances.
The Greek contingent, who were standing near the Serbs but were not involved in the fighting, were angry that they had been ejected as well.
The Serbian and Croatian groups apparently had an understanding that today would be the Croatians' day to attend the tennis, and the Serbians would attend tomorrow.
A fight was apparently arranged for tonight.
"Monday is our day every year," said a Croatian fan, who identified himself as Cmladen Mrnuaus. "We have to fight back."
Tensions have died down at Melbourne Park since the ejections.
Those ejected were mostly of Serbian background, a Victorian police spokeswoman said.
"They were upsetting the Croatians; 150 people were ejected from the grounds shortly before 1pm. They are believed to be mostly Serbians.
"Earlier the Croatians had gathered in Federation Square, chanting their songs and lighting flares before they made their way to the arena."
No arrests have been made, and at this stage there are no reports of injuries.
Croatian and Serbian players scheduled to play
Several Croatian and Serbian players were scheduled to play on day one of the Open, including Croatian fourth seed Ivan Ljubicic, and the ninth seed, Croat Mario Ancic.
Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis, who attracted enormous Greek support on his way to the final last year, was also slated to play.
The fans, most draped in Serbian, Croatian or Greek national flags, were marched to the front gates and outside onto Swan Street chanting as they were escorted.
Several tried to push back into the crowd on their way out, but were caught and forced back into line by police.
Police pushed Croatian supporters east down Swan Street towards Richmond, while Serbian and Greek supporters were funnelled towards the city.
A Serbian supporter who identified himself as Sasa Alesic said the violence had started out of nowhere.
"It's not fair we've all been chucked out. Even if we didn't start it, or do anything, we get thrown out. It's racist.
"We didn't come here for a fight, we came here for sport."
Police said the stoush began with verbal niggling and soon erupted in physical clashes between the groups. Many members of the groups were clad in Croatian and Serbian flags.
Violence 'disgusting'
Five Croatian fans later slammed the violence as "disgusting".
Marina, 19, Danijela, 19, Ivana, 17, Kristina, 16 and Marija, 20, all from Melbourne, who did not wish to use their last names, said they were watching Croatian star Mario Ancic on court three with other supporters when they heard a Serbian crowd outside chanting abuse at them.
They said most of the Croatian group they were with ran outside to confront the Serbian fans.
"They all went outside the court, it started with just abusing each other verbally and then it got into an actual fight," Marina said.
They saw people punching and kicking each other and accused the Serbian supporters of attacking the Croatians with flag poles.
The girls watched the brawl over the wall of their court for about 15 minutes before dozens of police arrived to break up the violence.
They said after years of going to the tennis, it was the worst thing they had experienced.
They had since heard a friend had been taken to hospital after being hit over the head with a flag pole, but no injuries were immediately confirmed.
"It's bad because you go to the tennis and you go to watch and then it ends up in an actual brawl, it's just ridiculous," Marina said.
"You go to cheer on your actual player, not to go and fight."
They said they also felt police had targeted them.
"I do [think it's discrimination] with the cops because they tend to just stick with us and they did random bag searches and body searches in the actual arena.
"They checked all our bags, made all the guys pull up their shirts."
Police did not check non-Croatian supporters in the same way, they said.
"No, it was just us, it was just the Croatians and everyone else that was there [in show court three] didn't get their bags checked like us."
.
I dunno how people can do shit like that.