Mexico sailors mobbed by Polish hooligans

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Agence France-Presse

Mexico sailors mobbed by Polish hooligans
2013-08-20 10:01

Mexico City - Mexico voiced concerns to Poland on Monday after a video surfaced of an alleged group of soccer hooligans mobbing Mexican navy cadets resting on a Polish beach.

The Mexican foreign ministry said in a statement that 57 cadets and officers from the Cuauhtemoc training ship were taking a break on a Baltic Sea beach on Sunday when they were assaulted by some 300 "alleged fans of a soccer team".

The brawl left 17 Mexican sailors injured, including two who were taken to a hospital before being declared out of danger, the statement said, adding that six Mexicans were temporarily detained.

A video on the Reforma newspaper website shows a group of men in swim trunks and shaved heads suddenly rushing toward the Mexicans, throwing punches and kicks at the shipmen. The daily said the hooligans shouted racial epithets.


Read more: http://www.news24.com/World/News/Mexico-sailors-mobbed-by-Polish-hooligans-20130820-3

[pampango]

1. Racism/xenophobia from right wing skinheads?

Would not be the first or (unfortunately) the last time that happens anywhere.

[Xithras]

5. There are racist hooligan groups, but it's not a political thing.

Most hooliganism isn't about racism or xenophobia. It's just a destructive thug gang mentality thinly legitimized by the idea that they're "supporting" their football team.

We don't really have much like it in the U.S., and it was a bit tough for me to wrap my mind around at first. I'd never heard of it before I went to the UK, and I still think it's one of the most idiotic things I've ever heard of. U.S. gangs fight over tangible things like drug sales and territory. Footballers fight and destroy just for the sake of fighting and destroying things. There's no real purpose or motivation other than causing mayhem.

[pampango]

7. "Most hooliganism isn't about racism or xenophobia." Perhaps not most, but

it sounds like this instance had a lot to do with them.

A video on the Reforma newspaper website shows a group of men in swim trunks and shaved heads suddenly rushing toward the Mexicans, throwing punches and kicks at the shipmen. The daily said the hooligans shouted racial epithets.

Like in other nations across the world, there are several far-right organizations in Poland. Public support of these parties is marginal, as they received 2.8% of the popular vote in the 2007 parliamentary elections. There is also a limited amount of nonparliamentary far-right extremism. Poland's neo-Nazi skinhead scene was estimated at some 2,000 active members in 1995.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Far_right_in_Poland

... Polish football supporters are on the right-wing political spectrum. Huge majority of the ultras are also far-right activists. Usual displays and chants during the games are patriotic and right-wing oriented. Polish football firms (also known as a hooligan firms) are well known to be on the far-right, such as Śląsk Wrocław, Lechia Gdańsk, Lech Poznań or Legia Warsaw. Stadiums serve also as a recruiting grounds for the nationalist organizations.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_hooliganism_in_Poland

[dipsydoodle]

9. Well at least you're talking from experience

as opposed to some general assumptions here. Back in the day UK "football hooligans" were more likely to sport Perry Como hairs and Polo shirts - some of them still dress like that. Broadly speaking they're just into organised bundles even sharing opposing firms phone numbers to arrange- off turf remote from the public. Racist ? The most notorious general was black himself.

The link between skins and football in Europe followed the adoption by the German ultra right of what was originally just an anti-fashion statement here in the UK rejecting both mods and rockers attire. They were also generally close to the blacks through music - ska and reggae.

Most Russians and East Europeans I've come across over the past 4 years , high in number , both in Cuba and here in the UK have had shaved heads - seems to be a comfort rather than any other dictate. Shaved head is just one up from a jar head.

The article in the OP emphasises "alleged" so maybe they were football fans and maybe they were not so. Sounds odd - 300 football turning up out of the blue in swimming trunks. Do Mexican sailors look much different from European sailors ?

[AnotherMcIntosh]

2. Polish "hooligans"? And not opryszeks? Or even chuligans?

[closeupready]

3. Yes, there is something discordant here, can't put my finger on it.

[Xithras]

4. Football hooliganism is one European export that I'm glad hasn't made it to the U.S.

I'll never understand the mentality behind attacking and killing people simply because they supported the other side in a damned soccer game.

For those who aren't familiar with it, I suggest that you look up Football Hooliganism. The point seems to simply be mindless violence in the name of your favorite team. Football hooligans from Poland are widely regarded as being among the worst in Europe, and arranged fights between football club hooligans can involve hundreds of people with clubs, knives, axes, machetes...it's like something out of a horror movie.

[Blue_Tires]

6. In many instances "ultras" and "street gangs" are interchangeable

[heaven05]

8. looks

racially motivated to me. I could be wrong, noting that 'hooliganism' is different from racism on most levels of social interaction and motivation in Europeans culture(s). The skinheads give it away in my book. Skinheads are notorious racists with extreme fascist tendencies.