Officer unable to see riot

Press, 22 June 1985, Page 11

Officer unable to see riot

NZPA-Reuter Brussels

The Gendarmerie major in charge of security at last month’s European Cup final, where 38 fans died in a riot, admitted yesterday that he must have seen less of the unfolding disaster at Brussels’ Heysel Stadium than millions of television viewers throughout the world.

Major Michel Kensier told a Belgian parliamentary inquiry on the riot that he had co-ordinated the security operation from his central Brussels headquarters, several kilometres from the ground. He did not have a television set in his office. The disaster occurred when stampeding English Liverpool fans invaded terraces occupied by Italian Juventus supporters. In the melee a wall collapsed, crushing many of the victims.

Major Kensier said that his men had not reported any increase in tension at the stadium before the fatal stampede. “Now everyone says they could feel that something was going to happen, but when I questioned my men on the spot, they said they noticed nothing particular,” he told the committee.

Major Kensier said that he learned that a catastrophe had occurred a few minutes ■ later thanks to a telephone call from the head of the Gendarmerie, who happened to be at the

ground as a spectator. Earlier, the Brussels police chief, Mr George Poels, said that the corridors separating rival fans at the stadium were far too narrow for the police to use once the trouble began.

He said that his men stood in the corridors at the end of the stadium' where most of the Italian fans were concentrated.

A Belgian police officer had gone to Liverpool to prepare the reception of some 20,000 British soccer fans. He had been assured by British officials that no hooligans would accompany the supporters to Brussels and that Liverpool supporters were not as violent as those of some other teams.

Liverpool officials and the British and Belgian police had co-operated to try to limit the violence between rival fans before the final. Before the riots the Italians had been much rowdier than the Liverpool fans.

He said that police had been in several violent skirmishes with Italian fans just before 38 spectators were crushed and trampled to death as they tried to flee from the charges from the Liverpool stands. After the riots the police also. had had to fight off angry Italian supporters from crossing the ground to attack the Liverpool section of the stands. “We were able to contain them,” Mr Poels said.