Some of the main criticisms against South Africa in the run-up to the World Cup is rampant crime and possible security problems at venues. Sunday’s stampede in Makhulong stadium did little to dissuade those fears yet authorities are not taking any chances regarding potentially violent fans from other countries.On the same day as the aforementioned stampede immigration officials detained as many as ten Argentine fans who authorities claimed to be “soccer hooligans”. "Intelligence indicated that these persons would commit acts of public disorder, engage in acts of violence and provoke conflict with certain fans of opponent teams and other groups from Argentina during the 2010 FIFA World Cup," said a statement from the South African police. Of the ten arrested (and soon-to-be deported) Argentines caught at Johannesburg's main airport was one man reportedly freed on bail for murder.
The Argentine squad-who we predicted would make it to the championship match- is under very tight security at the camp at the University of Pretoria. Over 200 security agents guard the team’s camp and only a very limited number of guests (“select schools and local dignitaries”) are permitted to visit los albicelestes.
In addition, Argentine police worked with their South African counterparts in order to ensure that rowdy fans from the infamous barras bravas are kept far away from the World Cup matches:
“We searched their rooms, took their photos, and asked them how much money they carried. Since they did not have tickets to Argentina matches we warned them that they are not to be within one kilometer of the stadium. We then left and wished them a safe stay in South Africa,” said Argentine Federal Police commissar Hugo Lompisano. – [ed. Translated text]South African police have also kept a close eye on potential rabble-rousers from other countries like England.
The World Cup starts this Friday with the host country playing Mexico, followed by Uruguay versus France. Argentina commences their quest for a fourth title with a group match against Nigeria this Saturday.
Image- The Telegraph
Online Sources- AP, The Latin Americanist, The Guardian, World Cup Blog, Reuters, Clarin, Christian Science Monitor, BBC Sport
3 comments:
HuffPost : World Soccer Cup in Glendale Arizona ?? - Don't make me laugh ! - Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA) will ignore the entire USA because of Arizona
Impossible and Absurd Dreams !!
Ha Ha Ha
Huffington Post
No Repeal in Arizona, No World Cup
June 2, 2010
By Bruce Fein :
Resident Scholar, Turkish Coalition of America
After graduating from Harvard Law School with honors in 1972, Bruce Fein served a federal judicial clerkship, and then joined the U.S. Department of Justice where he served as assistant director of the Office of Legal Policy, legal adviser to the assistant attorney general for antitrust, and the associate deputy attorney general under the Regan Administration. Mr. Fein then was appointed general counsel of the Federal Communications Commission, followed by an appointment as research director for the Joint Congressional Committee on Covert Arms Sales to Iran. He recently served on the American Bar Association's Task Force on Presidential signing statements.
No Repeal in Arizona, No World Cup
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bruce-fein/no-repeal-in-arizona-no-w_b_597765.html
Some excerpts :
Recently, eleven nations, including the United States, delivered their final plans to host the 2018/2022 edition of the world's most watched sporting event -- soccer's World Cup -- to officials of the Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA) in Zurich, Switzerland. Glendale, Arizona is one of the US' proposed host cities. The US should be denied the privilege of the global extravaganza unless Arizona repeals its unconstitutional and ugly statute criminalizing the absence of federal immigration papers and targeting racial or ethnic minorities who "look" foreign.
What's galling about Arizona's prominent placement in the US bid is that soccer's popularity is at its zenith in the Spanish-speaking world. Should FIFA select Glendale as one of the US World Cup host cities, tens of thousands of players and fans from south of the border could be expected to flood into Arizona to fill the stands, the hotels, and coffers of local businesspeople. But instead of a United States welcome mat, many could be detained or prosecuted by Arizona for appearing to be an undocumented alien.
FIFA can and should boycott Arizona until it learns its constitutional lessons. The US Constitution entrusts the federal government with authority over immigration, naturalization and deportation matters. As a nation, we sink or swim together. "No state," said the court in one ruling, "can add to or take from" the force and effect of national law.
Raciality.com
Vicente Duque
de Clermont - Nobody outside Mexico and the USA is taking the hubrus about the Arizona law seriously. Most countries have stricter sanctions and law enforcement toward illegals than the US does. Even Mexico's is harsher. Dugue should get a life and get real. The Arizona empowers local law enforcement people to ... surprise, detain illegals after committing a crime and turn them over to the Feds. How is that illegal? Every other country in the world does that. The people at Huffington are leaving in a bubble of absurdity. If a minority in the USA screams it's racism, well, my gosh, it must be racism. In the USA the oversensitivity of minorities and the oversensitivity toward them is risible. It is hurting the USA. We do not share that pathetic and counter-productive mindset in France.
I think it's perfect that South Africa deported all the "barra bravas" because they're a threat to everybody.
My family and I are enjoying the matches in our Buenos Aires apartment and we're having a great time in the city!
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