Tonight's violence in Marseille

How to make sense of a 3rd day of violence in Marseille?



Firstly the advice - go back to your hotel and have a quiet beer there.



Seriously. There are some nasty folk out and about and they want to make a name for themselves.



Too many England fans have been naive. They've been too drunk and too lary to realise their behaviour - whether they like it or not -is a provocation. And they don't realise what they've got themselves into.



The facts are the people who are usually throwing the first punches are organised hooligans from French and Russian clubs.



We've been told firms from Nice, Toulouse and Paris came to Matseille to cause trouble. And they got rousted by the Marseille ultras defending their hood.



Meanwhile a significant number of known Russian hooligans - 200, we're told - avoided suspicion by flying here via Switzerland where they rented cars.



They have been marauding the old port and initiating fights. Like we saw at the end of the game when they stormed the England fans stand.



They were then encouraged - wittingly or unwittingly - by the Russian Sports Minister Victor Mutko. He was seen turning to them and energetically applauding after the team's dramatic late equaliser. While a full scale brawl was occurring yards away.



It is also Ramadan, and youths in and around the old port who were quiet during the day will not hold back now fasts have broken.



Add to this policing that isn't known for it's subtlety.



It is a heady brew and could, indeed should have been predicted.



And stopped. But we are where we are.

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