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Hapoel Tel Aviv players celebrate with supporters their 4-2 victory over Paris SG at the end of their UEFA soccer match at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris on Thursday. (AP)
Last update - 15:55 24/11/2006
Paris mayor: Hapoel match clash shows need to fight anti-Semitism
By The Associated Press

PARIS - Violence that broke out when Paris Saint-Germain fans ganged up on a Hapoel Tel Aviv supporter - culminating in a shooting death - shows the need to crack down on racism and anti-Semitism among soccer fans, the Paris mayor said Friday.

The brawl Thursday night ended with a plainclothes police officer shooting into the crowd to protect the Hapoel fan, killing one person and injuring another, police said.

"The seriousness of this event confirms the absolute necessity of fighting racism and anti-Semitism among PSG fans," Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoe said in a statement.

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Delanoe said he would contact the Paris police chief and the president of PSG, which plays in the French first division, to come up with a plan to fight the problem.

"I want to make sure that Paris' image and values are respected under every circumstance - there is no room for the slightest form of intolerance," Delanoe said.

Hooliganism, overt racism and fan violence have plagued PSG and, more generally, French soccer - even as other countries like Britain have had considerable success in combatting such problems.

Tougher punishments for hooligans and repeated vows from French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy and other politicians that soccer violence will no longer be tolerated have failed to eradicate the problem.

The incident at a McDonald's fast food restaurant near the Parc des Princes stadium occurred after Hapoel Tel Aviv's 4-2 victory over PSG in a UEFA Cup match.

The officer, who was not identified, was trying to protect a Hapoel Tel Aviv fan set upon by some 150 PSG supporters, police said. He lobbed tear gas when the crowd went after him then fired two shots, "having been driven into a corner," police said.

The Paris prosecutor's office and the National Police General Inspection unit, which probes incidents involving law enforcement officers, were investigating, police said.

French Sports Minister Jean-Francois Lamour denounced the "climate and tension at certain soccer matches." In a statement, he said the incident was "unacceptable and tainted the image of sports."

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Hardly sportsmanlike
France confronts soccer violence after a scuffle between St. Germain and Hapoel T.A. fans.
What about Ehud B?
Barak may try to fulfill, for the second time, his prophesy of 'there is no partner.'
  1.   The French are very bad at playing soccer 14:51  |  Pepe 24/11/06
  2.   And FIFA won`t do anything 14:56  |  David Teich 24/11/06
  3.   they should also show women in burqa on Paris ramps 15:29  |  Wondering 24/11/06
  4.   re:The French are very bad at playing soccer 15:36  |  ardiles 24/11/06
  5.   Example 15:54  |  Edifice 24/11/06
  6.   Where are You yankelovitz> 15:56  |  Charles 24/11/06
  7.   Anti-semitism in France. 16:07  |  Vital 24/11/06
  8.   Unarmed protester? 16:11  |  Shlomo from Tel Aviv 24/11/06
  9.   The Problem With France 16:41  |  Shlomo Nasser 24/11/06
  10.   The policeman was a black Frenchman from African descent 16:45  |  Mark B. 24/11/06
  11.   Question 16:51  |  John 24/11/06
  12.   France isnt antisemit 17:11  |  fab 24/11/06
  13.   Israel is located in Asia not Europe 17:31  |  Canadian 24/11/06
  14.   In light of this report, behaviorals questions could be raised 17:38  |  Joseph E . 24/11/06
  15.   To Canadian... 17:58  |  Meir Moses 24/11/06
  16.   Articles leaves out key details 18:13  |  Victor 24/11/06
  17.   No.2 David Teich 18:14  |  True Brit 24/11/06
  18.   #8, Shlomo from Tel-Aviv. Wish it were also true 18:20  |  zmogus 24/11/06
  19.   unbelievable sadness 18:20  |  jouflu 24/11/06
  20.   to france isnt antisemite 18:23  |  larry 24/11/06
  21.   to #12 18:25  |  jouflu 24/11/06
  22.   #9 ShlomoNasser 18:28  |  MS 24/11/06
  23.   French are Antisemitic: not only footballers 18:29  |  Semsem 24/11/06
  24.   Why do Israel play in Europe 18:30  |  Valerie 24/11/06
  25.   to John (#10) 18:46  |  jouflu 24/11/06
  26.   liberty, fraternity and hipocrisy 18:47  |  Nestor 24/11/06
  27.   RE: Canadian 19:02  |  Johnny 24/11/06
  28.   france attack 19:07  |  robert 24/11/06
  29.   Answer to Canadian 19:12  |  Mark 24/11/06
  30.   no wonder french jews RE MOVING TO ISRAEL 19:17  |  jon Purizhansky 24/11/06
  31.   This was NOT just about anti-Semitism... 19:52  |  Anna 24/11/06
  32.   I have a plan 20:26  |  JES 24/11/06
  33.   Israeli Soccer 20:45  |  Laurent 24/11/06
  34.   re buffalo 20:55  |  henry 24/11/06
  35.   MS #18 21:02  |  Amit 24/11/06
  36.   Laurent & Arab sisters 22:32  |  SR 24/11/06
  37.   To #35 22:45  |  Ben 24/11/06
  38.   WHY DO TURKEY, GEORGIA, ARMENIA, AZER PLAY IN EUROPE 23:01  |  Jake 24/11/06
  39.   Anna, stop equivocating 23:05  |  Jake 24/11/06
  40.   I am quite fed up with all the hatred I see in... 23:13  |  Romeo 24/11/06
  41.   PSG violence 23:17  |  charles 24/11/06
  42.   to jouflu 23:27  |  Moises (a Jew) 24/11/06
  43.   Please stop globalisation 23:47  |  Mathias 24/11/06
  44.   SR: yuck 23:55  |  Paul 24/11/06
  45.   Truth?, or French lip service? 00:39  |  Charles T. Brown 25/11/06
  46.   "It will be a predominantly Muslim country by 2020." 01:26  |  Andreas 25/11/06
  47.   Amit #35 01:38  |  MS 25/11/06
  48.   THAT COP IS A HERO 02:41  |  Ryan 25/11/06
  49.   CANADIAN TO CANADIAN 02:45  |  RYAN 25/11/06
  50.   football death 03:04  |  schafe82 25/11/06
  51.   Paul #44 03:42  |  SR 25/11/06
  52.   To Ryan 04:52  |  Gordon 25/11/06
  53.   #40 Romeo, quite right 06:40  |  Jonathan 25/11/06
  54.   #30 - No wonder... 06:42  |  Jonathan 25/11/06
  55.   soccer hooliganism 07:21  |  hollingsworth 25/11/06
  56.   #55 Hollingsworth. Get it through your sclerotic brain........... 09:29  |  Max Zinger 25/11/06
  57.   Since Jan 06- over 25,000 vehicles torched , and over 2800... 09:46  |  Klaudia 25/11/06
  58.   To ANNA Jake 09:51  |  charles 25/11/06
  59.   #49 Ryan, BC is falling behind other provinces... 10:01  |  Max Zinger 25/11/06
  60.   Europe 10:03  |  charles 25/11/06
  61.   Israel is part of Europe 11:16  |  Ben 25/11/06
  62.   Wow..French with some backbone & willing to fight?!! 11:58  |  Michael 25/11/06
  63.   NOTHING TO DO WITH ANTISEMITISM... IT`S CALLED HOOLIGANISM! 12:20  |  Jeremy 25/11/06
  64.   Israel in Europe 13:05  |  charles 25/11/06
  65.   france racism antisemitic 13:05  |  sib 25/11/06
  66.   To: Ben 13:20  |  imad 25/11/06
  67.   HOLLINGSWORTH You have not noticed This is an Israeli paper.! 13:30  |  PETER SM 25/11/06
  68.   To Ben-The state is what-so-called Israel 13:58  |  imad 25/11/06
  69.   PSG and French "antisemitism" 14:35  |  charles 25/11/06
  70.   Prespectives, please 14:37  |  Charles 25/11/06
  71.   Lucky 15:13  |  Danite 25/11/06
  72.   that`s not me 15:24  |  charles 25/11/06
  73.   17: True Brit, get real and pay attention 15:50  |  David Teich 25/11/06
  74.   MS you list is right on.... 15:50  |  topanga 25/11/06
  75.   69: Wake up Charles! FIFA`s already addressing that 15:53  |  David Teich 25/11/06
  76.   Loser Mentality 16:19  |  Victor Smolinsky 25/11/06
  77.   Response to post 51 crude racism! 16:42  |  Victor 25/11/06
  78.   published then pulled 16:45  |  FOX 25/11/06
  79.   To Jeremy about "hooliganism" 17:28  |  Mark B. 25/11/06
  80.   Unusual valor by policeman 18:40  |  W Diehl 25/11/06
  81.   Reaction to attrocities 19:59  |  Pierre 25/11/06
  82.   Petah Tiqwah=opening of hope 20:34  |  Ben 25/11/06
  83.   To Jon from Buffalo 20:45  |  Jean-Paul Doguet 25/11/06
  84.   to Peter SM 20:59  |  hollingsworth 25/11/06
  85.   Anti-"Death-to-Arabs" campaign in Israel`s stadiums rings the... 21:36  |  zmogus 25/11/06
  86.   to Ben 22:07  |  charles 25/11/06
  87.   ZMOGUS Where is the"Death To Jews" campain by Arabs? 22:14  |  PETER SM 25/11/06
  88.   Antisemitism and France 22:41  |  gautiecl