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Croatian police will let fans party
Victory celebration will be incident-free, police insist
Posted: Wednesday July 08, 1998 12:02 PM
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Croatian fans took to the streets after their team's last win. They hope to do so again Wednesday night (AP) |
ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) --
Police are promising to cut fans some slack if Croatia beats France on
Wednesday for a place in the World Cup finals, intervening only if
celebrations threaten lives and property. Tens of thousands of
Croats are expected to watch the semifinal contest on giant TV screens set
up in the capital's parks and squares. Few restaurants, cafes and bars are
without a television set. The winner faces four-time World champion
Brazil on
Sunday. The loser will have to settle for the third-place match Saturday
against the Netherlands
. "Until now, police have not and will not act to spoil the
spontaneous festivities," Zagreb's police chief, Ivan Stanko, said.
Many Croats still view police with fear and apprehension -- a legacy of the
country's years of Communist rule when it was part of Yugoslavia.
But Stanko says he wants to change that image. And after Croatia's
remarkable success -- including its 3-0 upset of powerhouse Germany -- even
the police have caught World Cup fever. If things go well for the
Croats on Wednesday, Stanko said, "We will join in on the celebrations,
too, but in a manner still befitting enforcers of the law." Stanko
said he has told police to intervene in celebrations only if lives and
property are seriously endangered. Nevertheless, police will be out
in force at key intersections and city squares, just in case. One
person died and more than 40 were injured in Saturday's nationwide delirium
which exploded in the wake of the victory over Germany. Scores of windows
were smashed in shops, cars and street cars. According to a
newspaper poll, 95 percent of the 4.8 million Croats watched the
quarterfinal match, one of the country's finest moments since it gained
independence in 1991. The margin of error was not given.
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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