Chaos at San Javier shopping centre as football screening turns violent
A brawl erupted during a live screening of Copa del Rey final at the Dos Mares commercial centre
What should have been a lively football night turned into a scene of panic and destruction last Saturday at the Dos Mares shopping centre in San Javier. During a public screening of the Copa del Rey final between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, a violent brawl broke out among a group of mostly underage youths, throwing the mall into chaos.
The shopping centre was packed, not only with soccer fans but also with people eating, having a drink or strolling around the shops.
While the Dos Mares private security guard and the Local Police who responded to the scene were able to quickly identify the brawlers, who were wearing a mix of Barça and Real Madrid shirts, the centre’s management admitted that the situation was “difficult to control” after Barcelona scored in the final minutes of extra time.
Not liking the result, a group of around 12 youngsters started throwing chairs, tables and other objects around, while the innocent bystanders dove for cover. Fortunately, no injuries were reported, though furniture was damaged, particularly in establishments like Burger King.
In response, Dos Mares has suspended all football match screenings on its large public TVs. That includes the highly anticipated Champions League semi-final between FC Barcelona and Inter Milan.
“We'll see what we do in the future,” a spokesperson for the commercial centre said. He expressed concern that the incident gave Dos Mares a “very poor image,” especially as many families had to cut short their cinema visits or dinners and leave due to the escalating violence.
Image: Social networks
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