English, Russian, and French soccer fans in Marseille for the Euro Cup have violently fought one another on the city's streets, leading to several injuries and arrests.
A man is apprehended by French police in downtown Marseille on June 10.
Darko Bandic / AP Photo
The violence escalated on Saturday ahead of a match between England and Russia, who are set to face off at 9 p.m. local time.
Six people were arrested Saturday and five others were injured, Sky News reported, citing French police.
One person reportedly suffered a heart attack and was hospitalized during the melee, while another was knocked unconscious, according to Reuters.
Police Commissioner Lawrence Nunez said that approximately 300 Russian and 300 English fans who were "very determined" engaged in the clashes, but that "police presence allowed us to intervene systematically," Le Monde reported.
There also appeared to be scuffles between visiting fans and local French ones, Reuters reported.
Police armed with batons used dogs, water canon, and tear gas to attempt to tame the crowds.
Fans began clashing as early as Thursday, leaving behind swaths of trash and broken glass.
On Friday, nine people were arrested, according to Reuters. Riot police did not directly intervene with the fights that broke out, and focused instead on containing the action to certain sections of town.
Some bars began denying entrance to English fans. Others have announced that they will not air the game on their televisions.
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