Hundreds injured in months of Algeria football violence

Algiers, Algeria | AFP | More than 300 people were injured in football-related violence during the first four months of Algeria’s football season, with hundreds arrested, police said on Sunday.

Algeria has for years seen nearly weekly violence at football stadiums between supporters, while police and players have also been targeted.

Giving the police tally for August to November last year, the director of public security said there had been 80 cases of violence.

The unrest left “316 injured of which 215 are from police ranks,” said Aissa Naili, quoted by state news agency APS.

The figures relate to around 900 matches in various divisions, including the top two professional leagues and international matches.

During the same period there were 726 arrests, including 82 minors, of which 198 people were charged.

Naili also addressed an incident in which three officers were filmed attacking a supporter after a first division match in the capital Algiers on November 13.

Following an investigation into the attack, which happened during widespread matchday violence, Naili said the case has been referred to the public prosecutor’s office.

Despite sanctions and fair play campaigns, violence has continued both in and around football stadiums.

In 2014 a Cameroon striker with Algeria’s JS Kabylie, Albert Ebosse, was killed on the pitch by a projectile thrown from the stands.