Another attack on the supporters of “Polonia Wilno”

A match between “Polonia Wilno” and “Venta” was played on Sunday in Venta’s hometown of“  Kuršėnai, located in Šiauliai County. Unfortunately, the supporters of Polonia were attacked yet again, and beaten by a group of young assailants. The assault has been unprovoked.

While the football fans from Wilno was peacefully watching the game, about 15 masked assailants suddenly emerged from a nearby forest and without uttering a word attacked them. Four people were knocked down and kicked. The riot carried over to the stadium where the game was in progress. The motives of the assailants remain unknown.

‘They were not football fans but simple hoodlums. During the match they ran out of the forest; some wore masks, others had scarves wrapped around their faces. They immediately attacked the people from Wilno. When the “Polonia” players saw their fans being attacked they rushed to their aid. Meanwhile the assailants started running – some on foot towards the forest, some by car,’ Vincas Urbunavičius, Deputy Chief of Central Police Station of  Šiauliai County.

Fortunately security guards and the police reacted quickly and the perpetrators were arrested and transported to a police station in Šiauliai. Venta supporters maintain that the assailants were from out of town.

‘Fortunately there were no serious injuries. 15 people were detained – 4 from  Šiauliai County, 1 from Kowno, and 10 from Wilno. At the police station they behaved calmly. All of them were sober,’ said  Vincas Urbunavičius.

During the riot the game was halted but it resumed once the situation was back under control. Despite the incident and overall worsened mood, “Polonia” supporters did not leave the stadium and the game ended in 2:0 win for “Polonia.”

Source:     http://kurierwilenski.lt/2012/06/11/kolejny-napad-na-kibicow-wilenskiej-„polonii/

Tłumaczenie Andrzej Rola w ramach praktyk w Europejskiej Fundacji Praw Człowieka, www.efhr.eu. Translated by Andrzej Rola within the framework of a traineeship programme of the European Foundation of Human Rights, www.efhr.eu.