Euro Violence 2016

Yes, the Euro 2016 tournament is well under way, and there are a lot of intriguing stories. France is doing well, and so is England and Spain. Germany is doing fairly well, although they played uncharacteristically below their usual standards, and were unable to get a win against Poland a few days ago, having instead to settle for an unsatisfying tie.

Some countries are doing poorly. One of the biggest surprises is a country that failed to even qualify: the Netherlands. Somehow, this traditional European powerhouse did not make it in, even though they usually are a solid contender. Then, there are some new countries, such as Northern Ireland, Albania, and Iceland, each making their first appearance in many decades.

So indeed, there are some real hooks to this particular tournament.

However, there is a darker side to this Euro tournament, as well.

It is taking place with the backdrop of riots across France, and particularly in Paris, which have rocked the country.

Also, the tournament has been marred by rather extreme violence.

You might think, so soon on the heels of the November attacks in Paris, that security would be extremely tight.

It has not been the case, however.

There have been numerous incidents where fans have managed to get flares into the stadium, and some people on the field actually were fired upon, and received minor injuries. Croatian fans in particular have been responsible for this, although Turkish fans also had flares the other day, lighting them up following their convincing 3-0 loss to Spain.

Also, Russian fans have clashed with English fans, and some have been expelled from France permanently.

Indeed, the security issues off the field have been as much as the forefront of this Euro tournament as the play on the field has been.

And all of that while French streets - those that are not flooded from the heavy rains - are packed with protestors!

This is making this the Euro tournament memorable for all the wrong reasons!