Violence at UEFA Euro 2016

The UEFA Euro 2016 football championships in France saw several recorded instances of football hooliganism and related violence between fans, both at the venues where matches took place, and in cities near the participating stadiums. The violence started immediately before the tournament began, and involved clashes between several countries. Some of the rioting came from established gangs and football hooligan organisations, which deliberately intended to provoke violence. They clashed with riot police who controlled the crowds using tear gas and a water cannon.

Both the organisers and government officials in several countries condemned all violence, and recommended various sanctions up to and including removal from the tournament and a ban on alcohol. Russian politicians later said the country had been singled out for unfair treatment and protested against a suspended disqualification.

On 10 June, English fans at Marseille clashed with police, who used tear gas to break up the crowd. One fan and one local man were arrested. Fans later complained that the police were unnecessarily confrontational, and provoked further problems. Six English fans were later arrested and charged with throwing bottles at the police or other fans. One English fan was hospitalised, while dozens of other fans were injured in the clashes. England striker Jamie Vardy's wife Rebekah was hit by tear gas during the disruption. The first two England fans tried for throwing bottles at police were each given a three-month prison sentence and a two-year ban from France.

The next day, English and Russian fans clashed before that evening's game between the two teams. The police again used tear gas and a water cannon to control crowds. Immediately after the match, which ended in a 1–1 draw, around 150 Russian fans at the Stade Vélodrome charged towards England supporters in a neighbouring terrace. Russian fans set off flares and climbed over fencing to attack the opposing supporters. Two Russian supporters were also arrested over a pitch invasion during the game. Two England fans were left in comas after being attacked with hammers and iron bars by Russian hooligans. Video footage was later released showing the Russian hooligans attacking English fans with chairs and metal bars. The chief prosecutor in Marseille called the group "hyper-rapid and hyper-violent".

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