Fuck.

By: Martha | November 11th, 2007

fuc k

*Scroll down the bottom of the post for the latest, it was updated throughout the day*

Gabriele Sandri, a Lazio supporter and semi-famous DJ in Roma was accidentally shot today in the wake of a battle between Lazio Ultras and a group of Juve supporters they attacked in Badia al Pino, Arezzo; the Lazio-Inter match has been called off, and all the other matches are delayed by 15 minutes as a sign of respect. The Juve supporters reportedly flagged down a passing police car for help and there was a scuffle during which a shot was fired, presumably from a cop’s gun, and Sandri is apparently dead.

Just when you think things can’t get any worse, something like this happens: A(nother) senseless death, a cop’s gun to blame. No matter who was holding the weapon or how it was fired, a lot of supporters are likely to blame the authorities — Atalanta Ultras have already fought with police today, apparently as a result of this incident, and they won’t be the only ones.

Here we go again.

What follows are developments since this post went up. Thanks to everyone in the comments for the help.

•Lazio chairman Claudio Lotito is asking supporters not to blame the police. Fingers crossed someone listens.

•Atalanta Ultras forced the suspension and then postponement of their team’s match against Milan. Flares and rocks were thrown, and the tried to smash their way through the barrier between the Curva and the pitch. The Atlanta Ultras allegedly threatened captain Cristiano Doni with “serious” repercussions if the match went ahead.

•Thousands of angry fans paraded outside the San Siro with a sign that says “Raciti [the cop who was killed in Catania last winter] stops the championship but the death of a fan has no meaning”; a TV cameraman has reported been injured covering the protest.

•Here are a couple (this is the BBC one Ruby mentioned) of articles with the details being discussed in the comments: The shots came from long-range; the police are describing the event as a “tragic mistake.”

•Sandri’s family and their lawyer say the fight was over and he was sitting in the back of a car when the bullet struck him. The car may or may not have contained Lazio Ultras involved in the fight.

•A Serie C match was called off just before the hour mark because of fan trouble, and there have been problems at least one professional basketball game today as a result of all this.

•A gallery of screencaps of the Atalanta-Milan trouble.

•As of just after 12pm Eastern Time, the Roma-Cagliari match has been postponed.

•After the Roma match was called off, supporters clashed with police outside the Olympico; La Gazzetta are reporting that order has been restored.

•Ultras are rioting out in Rome. A police bus has been set on fire, and police barracks and the Commission for Public Safety have been attacked. Running commentary is here.

•The police have released a statement describing what they claim is the sequence of events that led to Sandri’s death. In part, it reads as follows:

One of the agents, in a bid to induce the brawlers to desist, fired two shots. These were fired so that the fight that had broken out between a group of people – who had not been identified as football fans – did not degenerate into something more serious.

•Ultras in Rome have invaded the office of CONI near the Olympico, and some have actually broken into the ground. At least one bomb has gone off in the area.

•A gallery of the ongoing riots in Rome.

•It’s being reported that at least one person has been killed in the riots.

•Police have regained control of the area immediately surrounding the Stadio Olympico.

•FIGC president Giancarlo Abete is already talking about a blanket ban on away supporters for the foreseeable future.

•As a precautionary measure, “all institutional buildings” in Rome are under police guard, including the Senate Chamber.

•Marisa Grasso the widow of Filippo Raciti, has weighed in, lamenting calcio’s failure to learn anything from her husband’s death, and describing Italy as a whole as “increasingly uncivil.”

•Rome blogger Spangly Princess has an on-the-ground report on the violence, and what it’s like in Rome tonight.

I’m knocking on wood as I type this, but things in Rome seem to have settled down; hopefully this is the last update of the night.

Monday’s news is here. Again, it’s constantly being updated.