England and Slovakia soccer fans revelled peacefully in the French city of Saint-Etienne on Monday, easing fears of more violence as they sang their national anthems and played soccer together before the Euro 2016 match between their teams in the evening. Local authorities have restricted alcohol sales, banned glasses and locked away outdoor cafe chairs to try to prevent a repeat of the brawls between rival groups of fans and police at England's opening game in Marseille on June 11. Outside the railway station in the patrolled and police vans brought more police in riot gear to the plaza. Dozens of English fans in white and red England jerseys gathered at a few bars across from the station, drinking and breaking into chants from time to time. Some rival fans took part in a friendly penalty shoot-out competition. "I came with my wife and my son," said Michael Porubain, 36, a Slovak fan "I hope that those who are here to cause trouble like some did in Marseille have been sent away. The match and another on Monday between Russia and Wales in Toulouse mark roughly the half-way point in the month-long Euro 2016 tournament, whose early stages have been marred by violence, arrests and deportations. Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said French police had arrested 557 people so far during the tournament for violence or other unlawful behaviour. A small number have faced fast-track trials. In Marseille, a court handed five Hungarian and one Slovak supporter sentences that ranged from a 15-day suspended jail term to six months in prison for their part in scuffles inside the city's stadium before the match between Iceland and Hungary on Saturday. "You came to ruin the party," prosecutor Olivier Sabin told the defendants. "It's scary what we're seeing happening during this Euro 2016 tournament." Meanwhile, police in Toulouse detained two drunken Russian supporters, describing the arrests as "preventative" British police said on Monday an investigation team was working to identify those who were involved in disorder and those who were seen to have attacked English fans. "We will pass this information on to the French police to assist in their ongoing investigations and to help prevent any further disruption," Assistant Chief Constable Mark Roberts said. Cazeneuve said the prospect of a militant Islamist attack remained the government's main preoccupation, he said. France is on high alert for such an assault after the Nov. 13 attacks in Paris claimed by Islamic State. A state of emergency remains in place for the duration of the tournament. (For more sportsnews andupdates, followAhramOnlineSportson Twitter at@AO_Sportsand onFacebookatAhramOnlineSports.) http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/223482.aspx
