Russian security officers were caught on camera beating a jubilant fan who jumped on the hood of a patrol van while celebrating the Russian football team’s unexpected World Cup victory over Spain.
Russians across the country’s 11 time zones reveled in their squad’s penalty shootout win in Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium, while the Kremlin likened the scenes to celebrations after the Soviet victory in World War II. But authorities also reportedly detained 32 fans during the game on charges including disobeying police, drunkenness and selling illegal merchandise.
Footage circulating on social media after Sunday's game shows a man mounting and stomping a police vehicle with flashing blue lights. After he jumps off, two uniformed officers who may be members of Russia’s National Guard approach the man and beat him as he lays on the ground. The video was filmed in the city of Voronezh.
Police authorities in Voronezh told local media its officers “didn’t take part in the clampdown.” The National Guard has not yet commented on the incident, the city’s 36on.ru news website reported Monday.
The brutal beating is the latest example of what some argue is the unequal treatment of Russian and foreign fans by police.
That divide was underscored in a video blogger’s conversation with officers at the heart of celebrations in central Moscow over two weeks ago. When asked if drinking beer on the street would be allowed after the World Cup ends on July 15, the officer did not hesitate to answer: “Not if you’re Russian.”
“You can if you’re not Russian. They [foreigners] are allowed everything, while locals won’t be allowed anything,” he is heard saying in a video posted on the social media website VKontakte.
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