YUGOSLAVIA: BRAWL DURING BELGRADE SOCCER MATCH

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A massive brawl broke out on Saturday at a Belgrade soccer match, leaving several people injured.

The fist fight between fans came only three minutes after the start of a Yugoslav league match between Red Star and Partizan.

Flares were fired from a section occupied by Partizan fans, then the pitch was stampeded.

Red Star fans began throwing rocks and bottles against the rival group, and Belgrade state radio reported that the match had to be called off.

Several people were taken away by emergency personnel on stretchers, but the exact number of injured was not immediately clear.

The violence seems to have been politically motivated.

Partizan fans had said before the match that they intended to disrupt the game.

They said they wanted to highlight their demand that the head of Partizan Sports Association, Mirko Marjanovic, step down.

He is Serbia's prime minister and an ally of the deposed President, Slobodan Milosevic.

Much of Milosevic's power structure, including management in state-run firms, schools, even the soccer federation, has been falling apart in voluntary and forced resignations.

The brawl followed a political uprising last week when pro-democracy protesters forced Milosevic to acknowledge an election defeat and make way for the new president, Vojislav Kostunica.

Saturday's clashes between soccer fans came despite the fact that both sides support Kostunica's new government.

Police, still reeling after the change in political power, did little to intervene.

Witnesses said they were deployed in far smaller numbers than have been usual for major games.

Last month, Red Star had to play against England's Leicester in Vienna instead of Belgrade because UEFA deemed political situation in the country too volatile.

Red Star is supposed to host Celta, from Vigo in Spain, next week, for a second round UEFA Cup match.
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