Bigots eclipsed by anarchists
Despite fears of nationalist violence of the type that left an Albanian immigrant dead and several injured after September’s Albania-Greece soccer game in Tirana, Wednesday night’s repeat match had no serious repercussions. Police arrested three suspected right-wing extremists at the Karaiskaki Stadium, where Greece beat Albania 2-0 in a 2006 World Cup qualifier, for repeatedly trying to enter the ground without a ticket and hoisting banners carrying ethnic slurs. Many Greece fans in the capacity crowd booed Albania’s anthem before kickoff, while extremists gave Nazi salutes. In a bizarre yet related incident, anarchists rioted in the central Exarchia district early yesterday, throwing petrol bombs and stones at police, smashing cars, damaging shops and besieging the local police station. One youth was arrested. The riots followed an anti-racism march inspired by the soccer game.
