World Cup 2014: Angry English Fans Burn Italian Flag; Video Captures Brazilian Police Firing Pistol at Anti-World Cup Protesters
The loss of England's team to Italy in Friday's match in Manaus, Brazil, had angered English soccer fans to much that they burned the red, white and green flag of Italy right after the game.
The incident led the police to initiate an investigation into the incident that happened in Bedford where 20 per cent of residents are Italians, The Telegraph reports.
While disgruntled English soccer fans spilled out of pubs after their national team lost 1-3 to Italy, Italian residents, who are children of the wave of migrant workers in the 1950s, were seen driving their cars through town.
Beyond the flag-burning incident and pockets of rowdy behaviour, there was no further incidents of violence in Bedford where there were clashes in 2012 when the English and Italian team last battled.
It is considered illegal to burn flags in Britain and the violator of the law could be charged with a public order offence.
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But in Rio de Janeiro, near the Maracana soccer stadium, a Brazilian police officer was filmed by an Associated Press video firing what looks like a live pistol at World Cup protesters.
Another plainclothes police officer was seen pulling his gun and firing his gun near the Maracana stadium where the match between Argentina and Bosnia-Herzegovina was being held.
The Rio government declined to comment on the two incidents until it has viewed the video.