By Nick Mulvenney
ATLANTA, July 14 (Reuters) – The Atlanta Police Department (APD) will have enhanced security in place for Wednesday’s World Cup semi-final in the city between England and Argentina, two nations with a fierce soccer rivalry.
The World Cup has been free of the violent disorder that blighted some tournaments in the 1980s and 1990s but authorities are taking no chances for the last of the seven matches at Atlanta Stadium.
“The Atlanta Police Department has enhanced its citywide public safety and security posture,” the APD said in a statement.
“Additional personnel and resources are already deployed and will continue to be strategically assigned … to help ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone.”
The APD said the proactive measures were the result of continual assessment of what was required to secure the matches in Atlanta.
“Adjustments are a routine part of managing an event of this magnitude and are intended to ensure a safe and enjoyable FIFA World Cup experience,” the statement added.
Argentina’s security minister, Alejandra Monteoliva, said on Tuesday that enhanced security had been discussed at a meeting in the United States on Monday.
Monteoliva indicated that, for the first time at the tournament, rival fans would be channelled into Atlanta Stadium through separate entrances on Wednesday.
“There will be 1,600 officers … We want the celebration to be peaceful,” she told local radio in Argentina.
FIFA’s ticket sales policies for the tournament mean that segregating fans inside the stadium, as happens routinely in domestic football matches in England and Argentina, would be nigh on impossible on Wednesday.
The APD said it works closely with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and its “public safety partners” on planning for such events but never “discuss specific operational risk assessments or the details of planning”.
The soccer rivalry between Argentina and England was forged through five previous meetings at World Cups, several of which have featured controversial incidents.
It intensified in the wake of the 1982 military conflict between the two countries over the Falkland Islands and South Georgia in the South Atlantic, which resulted in 907 deaths.
Monteoliva said that Argentina fans would not be able to take any flags or banners into Atlanta Stadium which claimed sovereignty over the islands, which the Argentines call Islas Malvinas.
“The entry of elements that have any type of provocative message, whether of political or racial content, is prohibited. They will not be able to enter flags or posters with that content,” Monteoliva said.
The reputation of England fans has improved greatly since the days when hooligan elements ran riot at the 1982 and 1998 World Cups.
“The way England fans have conducted themselves across North America has done our country proud,” the Football Supporters’ Association, which provides support and services to England fans, said in a statement ahead of the semi-final.
“We’ve continued to show that the outdated stereotypes don’t define us… let’s make sure we continue to look after one another, represent England with pride, and give everyone another reminder of why we have the best fans in the world.”
(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, additional reporting by Ramiro Scandolo in Buenos Aires, editing by Christian Radnedge)
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