Other MoA event in Finland on Fri 15th November 2024

Tampere police detain 9 rioters after hockey match; at least one bystander injured

Police are investigating a series of brawls after a local ice hockey derby between Tappara and Ilves at the Tampere arena.

The police are investigating clashes after an ice hockey match in Tampere as a riot. Two local men’s teams played on Friday evening, with Ilves beating host Tappara by a score of 4-0 at the Tampere arena.

At least 10 police patrols arrived at the scene as violence broke out between supporters of the two teams.

Police detained nine people to prevent further disruptive behaviour, Detective Inspector Jari Luoto of the Central Finland Police Department told Yle on Saturday.

He said that police were going through surveillance camera footage as part of their probe into the unrest. According to Luoto, investigation of the video material is laborious due to darkness at the time and the fact that there were scuffles in many locations.
Sports fans standing and cheering at an arena, mostly in dark clothing with green and yellow flags and scarves.

"The police are investigating whether this constituted a riot and who may have participated in it. It is possible that the specific criminal charges will change as the investigation progresses," he said.
Ambulance called, at least one injured

Luoto confirmed to Yle that an ambulance was needed due to the disorder. A criminal complaint has been filed regarding an assault.

"At the moment, it seems that a bystander was injured," he said.

According to Luoto, according to current information, there were a number of clashes between individuals and groups on the Sori bridge and directly in front of the arena.

He declined to speculate on how many people took part in the brawls, or whether they had all attended the match.

Fan violence is a persistent problem in Finland, typically associated with men’s ice hockey and football matches.