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France opens racist assault case after Chelsea fans push black man off Paris metro

French prosecutors have opened a hunt for Chelsea football club fans who were filmed stopping a black man boarding a Paris metro train while chanting racist slogans. They hope to charge them with racist assault.

The fans were on their way to see the PSG-Chelsea match during which Chelsea's Willian (L) faced PSG's Marco Verratti (R) and Blaise Matuidi (C)
The fans were on their way to see the PSG-Chelsea match during which Chelsea's Willian (L) faced PSG's Marco Verratti (R) and Blaise Matuidi (C) Reuters/Christian Hartmann
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Filmed by British Paris resident Paul Nolan, a group of Chelsea fans in Paris for Tuesday night’s game with Paris St Germain repeatedly pushed the man back onto the platform when he tried to get into the metro carriage, chanting “We're racist, we're racist and that's the way we like it!”

"Most Chelsea fans had congregated in one carriage of the metro, and the great majority [of people on the carriage] seemed to be Chelsea fans," Nolan told RFI.

"The metro had been waiting at the station for two or three minutes, and they couldn't shut the doors because they were being blocked, probably by [Chelsea] supporters."

Only one set of doors was open and the black man in the video approached and tried to board.

"A lot of people saw these big guys standing at the metro and thought, 'I'm going to avoid that like the plague.' But this one guy didn't, he walked in and he got pushed out and he looked absolutely outraged by that. He seems to even go back to say he has the right to be on the metro and some sort of exchange happened [...] and shortly after that exchange, he stands back, he moves back towards the wall and you start hearing those racist chants."

"Some security staff came and the doors eventually closed and the metro left."

"People were shocked by what they were seeing. The vast majority were commuters and then you have these big, fat, British guys telling people they can't come in and pushing people out. I think they were trying to be as provocative as possible.

"I tried to film quite discreetly. I obviously didn't want them to notice but I thought it was important to film."

Several of the people involved are clearly identifiable and the Guardian newspaper, which published the video, has appealed to readers to identify those involved.

French prosecutors on Wednesday announced that they were opening an inquiry into “deliberate violence because of a person’s race”, a judicial source told news agencies.

Stade, a unit specialising in violence at sporting events, will be pursuing the case, they said.

British police said they would join the search for those involved.

Chelsea on Wednesday condemned the fans’ behaviour.

“Such behaviour is abhorrent and has no place in football or society,” a statement said. “We will support any criminal action against those involved and, should evidence point to involvement of Chelsea season-ticket holders or members the club, will take the strongest possible action against them, including banning orders.”

There was widespread condemnation of the action on social media.
 

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