English, Russian speaking fans attacked by hooligans in Lodz, Poland

Summary
8 June 2012
Around 50 Polish hooligans attacked English- and Russian-speaking fans as they drank in a pub in the central Polish city of Lodz.

Article from NY Daily News:

Football supporters speaking English and Russian have been attacked by Polish hooligans hours before the opening game of Euro 2012, locals have said.

Around 50 hooligans attacked the fans as they drank in a pub in the central Polish city of Lodz on Thursday evening.

Local witnesses said cars pulled up next to the pub driven by masked men who attacked anyone in sight, throwing punches and kicks.

The attackers were described as young men wearing club colours of local team LKS Lodz.

"When they started to hit out, we fled inside," one Polish victim said. "We barricaded the entrance. Some of us remained outside, and they got the brunt of the attack."

Two pubgoers were injured in the attack. "They forced two younger men to the ground, with multiple attackers starting to punch and kick them," a local said. "It was a horrible sight. I fumbled for my phone and called the police.

"They were lying motionless on the pavement. I thought they were dead. After a couple of minutes, one of them started to get up, and then the second. I was very relieved."

Police took more than ten minutes to reach the pub. The pub owner refused to press charges out of fear for retaliation attacks but said attack appeared specifically aimed at foreigners. Before the incident, the visitors were reported talking and chanting in English and Russian.

Lodz, which has a small British expat community, is a popular sleepover for fans visiting Euro 2012. Lodgings in the city remained affordable and venues like Warsaw and Poznan are easily reachable from Poland's third city.