Confrontation between Santa Cruz and Sport Soccer fans has war scenes and ends with 12 injured
According to the police, 14 people were arrested for participating in the fights, which occurred in several parts of the city; Governor Raquel Lyra called an emergency meeting and Mayor João Campos demanded punishment
Scenes of savagery on the streets of Recife marked the classic between Santa Cruz and Sport this Saturday. The Civil Police of Pernambuco confirmed that at least 12 people were injured in clashes between fans of the two teams, in various parts of the city. Six of them have already been discharged, while three are still hospitalized at the Hospital da Restauração, in the Derby neighborhood. The hospitalized patients’ health conditions were not detailed. Several videos circulated on social networks showing the carnage. In one of them, it is possible to see a man being raped with a metal stick.
The fights occurred before the Multitudes Classic, for the Pernambuco Championship, and spread to different neighborhoods of the city. The Military Police employed 680 agents for the match security, at the Arruda stadium, which ended with Santa Cruz’s victory by 1-0.
Fourteen people were arrested for involvement in the acts of violence. In Cabo de Santo Agostinho, three suspects were arrested on the act, for using explosives during the clashes. The case will be investigated by the Sports Intolerance Repression Police Station. Before the game, about 650 people were taken to the Shock Police Battalion for search and follow-up to the stadium.
Governor Raquel Lyra called a meeting with the Pernambuco Court of Justice (TJPE) and the Pernambuco Public Prosecutor’s Office (MPPE) to discuss measures against violence. “We are working from the first moment to punish the vandals responsible for the barbarism seen earlier in Recife,” said the governor. The mayor of Recife, João Campos (PSB), also spoke out, defending strict punishment for those involved: “What we saw today were criminal scenes in the confrontation between vandals who use football to practice violence. Identification and severe punishment for these delinquents is urgent.”
Jovem Pan