Big riots and police brutality on Dinamo - Hajduk (01.05.2010.)

Last Saturday biggest derby in Croatia was played, Dinamo Zagreb – Hajduk Split. Derby was nothing special (bad football, little people on stadium) but the riots between Bad Blue Boys and police during  half time and after the match makes this derby topic number one in Croatia this week. So, lets first start with describing how it all started.

Few minutes before end of first half some Dinamo fans lighted a flare on east stand (place with mostly normal fans and some older BBB). Stewards wanted to take one guy out, but fans rejected them. Then cops entered and with little  pushing and few punches they arrested him. Under tribune they start to beat him and everybody that came close. BBB from north stand heard  that and wanted to get there, but cops on north stand started to beat them and show began. BBB attacked cops with flares and chairs. And cops was throwing chairs and flares back on them (that surely is not normal behavior of riot police!). In all that madness one cop was heavily injured. He lost hes eye.


When the 2nd half was about to start riots stopped. But only for 45 min. Police prepare revenge for all fans on north tribune. When they were leaving after the match cops start to chase them an beat up everybody. Kids, women, all… It was very brutal. Witnesses said they were shouting „You will not get out alive“. Outside stadium same. Cops in cordon „clear“ street. Again beating every one in the street, even people that were not on match, only in walk near stadium or drinking in nearby bars. One group of BBB attacked civil car with cops inside. Cop shot and hit fan in chest. Fan with bullet in chest was arrested and beaten for 2 hours in police station before they call ambulance! Unbelievable! Explain of police is this: „We didn't know he was shooted. He didn't complain for pain!“ WTF!? How anyone normal can say that? It's too much even for police. Other fans that were arrested with him say he was crying for help.

What is the reason for all this riots? One flare? Why did cops enter tribune to arrest, when Dinamo stadium has one of the best video security in this part of Europe and when police always arrest people after the match, on stadium exit…
Of course all media just talk about hooligans and politicians again want to change law for supporters. In Croatia special law for supporters is active since 2003. And has changed for 2 times already. First time 2006. (since then ultras in Croatia suffer from big repression), and second time last year. And now they will probably make it even more worst for all fans!
Yesterday BBB had press conference where they showed all proves for police brutality after the match. More then 50 injured fans with hospital documentation. Lots of older people and girls were talking to media about what police did to them.

This riots were much more then just football riots between cops and hooligans. Lots of innocent people get beaten up in violent revenge of police. And biggest question is why did police enter east stand and provoke all the riots? Maybe because it was 01.05. and government wanted to people talk about hooligans, not about big economic crisis in country, about 320 000 unemployment… And maybe they wanted to show people what will happened if they want to protest like people in Greece.

Sorry for not very good English :)