President Ivan Gašparovič stated on November 3 that he supports the police intervention after last weekend’s football match between DAC Dunajská Streda and Slovan Bratislava, the TASR newswire wrote.
He also said he was concerned about the politicisation of the incident, which targeted football hooligans.
"Extremism, intolerance and the eruption of nationalist passions do not belong in society, politics or sport," the president said, adding that tolerance of extremists based on their nationality motivates them to continue.
"This ministry enforces a zero tolerance on hooligans," Interior Minister Robert Kaliňák at the press conference.
He said that the police had to intervene early enough to ensure that the violence didn't escalate.
"The police intervened against fans from both sides. Therefore, we consider the statements by the [ethnic-Hungarian party] SMK and of the Hungarian government as politically motivated.”
But, speaking at its own press conference on November 3, SMK chairman Pál Csáky said he saw no reason for the intervention. He said the SMK plans to ensure that Kaliňák submits proof that the policemen were attacked in the sector of the arena where they were intervened.
Csáky said the police should have picked the perpetrators out from the crowd, and not beat up people who were lying on the floor unable to defend themselves. Csáky mentioned also alleged existing that one policemen used a metal pole, which is prohibited throughout the Europe.
Csáky encouraged those injured to file charges. TASR
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
