Hungarian Teenagers Assaulted in Cluj by Football Fans, RMDSZ Demands Strong Response

János Fábián confidently told Fanatik: Universitatea fans attacked his nephew and two friends because they were speaking Hungarian to each other. The patrol officers, who were notified of the incident, delivered first aid to the injured young man, but the perpetrators disappeared when the officers arrived. On the nearby Jászay/Mamaia street, the patrol officers managed to catch a group of people fighting. According to the Știri de Cluj news portal, 6 aggressive fans were arrested and fined a total of 2,800 lei.

This was not the only violent incident involving Universitatea ultra fans on Monday evening. Știri de Cluj reported that Universitatea Cluj supporters also injured a 14-year-old boy, who was attacked along with two friends aged between 14 and 17 in the vicinity of the Elizabeth Bridge late on Monday evening. The article did not disclose the nationality of the minors. Meanwhile, however, videos are circulating on the “U” fans’ social media pages showing young people with CFR scarves around their necks forcibly taking “U” flags from the rival team's fans.

Police Weigh in on the Incident

We contacted the press department of the Cluj County police headquarters and inquired about the incident. In their response to our editorial office, the police stated that they were alerted at around 1:50 a.m. on April 1st from a healthcare facility where an injured 14-year-old boy had come for emergency care. The medical staff notified the police due to suspicion of assault. According to police data, on Monday evening, March 31, at around 11:15 p.m., „a spontaneous conflict broke out between several people on the Elizabeth Bridge".

„An investigation has been launched into the case for assault or other violence, as well as disturbing public order and peace. The identification of all the persons involved is ongoing, and the exact circumstances of the case are being established in order to employ legal measures," says the statement of the Cluj County police, which does not address whether the assault against the young people had any ethnicity-based motivations.

Both Football Teams Distanced Themselves from the Rioters

Both of the city's sports clubs involved in the serious incident have issued statements. The press release of CFR Cluj states, among other things, that “some of the Universitatea fans decided to move the match from the stands to the streets of the city, regardless of the outcome of the match.” According to the club, the attack by the “U” ultras was directed against several young – and in some cases underage – fans.

According to the team's statement, it is completely unacceptable for a fan of any team in the world to leave the stadium in an ambulance. „It is not normal for adults to mock, threaten to kill, and maim fans of another team, regardless of age, but especially minors. This is not normal, we do not accept it!” – the CFR writes, concluding its press release.

According to the club, the aggression in the Treasure City escalated due to the behavior of the “U” ultras, and this cannot be ignored. They called on their rival football club to distance themselves from the unacceptable behavior of their fans.

The rival club then took a stand, expressing its regret for the incidents that occurred after Monday's match. The terse statement of Universitatea Cluj-Napoca states, among other things, that „whether our fans were at fault or not, our club strongly condemns all such acts". They stated that the club is committed to the principles of fair play and university spirit, and rejects any aggression and trusts that the authorities will investigate what happened.

Hunor Kelemen: Abuse Against Hungarians Cannot be Tolerated

RMDSZ (Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania) President Kelemen Hunor strongly condemned the incident on his social media page, calling it intolerable that „Hungarian youth were beaten by the ‘U’ ultras in Cluj-Napoca just because they spoke Hungarian.” He went on to say: „I am addressing the Minister of the Interior and I firmly ask him to set an example! Punish the ultra fans who assaulted Hungarian youth!

I am not willing to accept the argument that these are just isolated cases. No! As long as Hungarians are abused just because they are Hungarians, because they speak Hungarian, our community is not completely safe. This is what leads to the fact that extremist, anti-Hungarian parties can incite against us freely, while the state often turns a blind eye to them,” the party president wrote in his post.

According to Hunor Kelemen, all hate speech should be punished, whoever says it – be it a politician or a media figure. „A speedy recovery to the young victims of the attack! I wish their families strength and perseverance in this appalling situation. We are ready to provide them with all support possible,” wrote the president of RMDSZ.

The leader of the RMDSZ parliamentary group said that if someone is subjected to an attack solely for using the Hungarian language or being ethnically Hungarian, the authorities must investigate it immediately and the perpetrators must be handed the strictest punishment possible by law. „One thing should be clear to all: everyone has the right to use their mother tongue, and everyone must be provided with the opportunity to use their mother tongue freely, anywhere and at any time, without having to fear that they will be subjected to physical or verbal violence for this,” the Cluj-Napoca native emphasized in the Romanian parliament.

The Cluj-Napoca CFR team, founded in 1907, also known as the “Cluj Railway Sport Club”, and the university team, Universitatea Cluj, founded in 1919, have had a decades-long rivalry. There are also a large number of Hungarians in the CFR fan base, who often become targets of “U” ultras.

korábban írtuk

Magyar fiatalokat bántalmaztak az U szurkolói Kolozsváron, az RMDSZ példás büntetést követel

Utcai verekedésbe torkollott a kolozsvári Universitatea és a CFR futballcsapatok hétfő esti mérkőzése. Az U szurkolóinak egy része magyar fiatalokat bántalmazott, az RMDSZ a felelősök megbüntetését követeli a belügyminisztertől.