Poles prohibit Belarusian fans to hoist white-red-white flags (photo)

A group of Belarusian fans was sent away from the game Belarus-Lithuania at EuroBasket Women-2011 in the Polish city Bydgoszcz. The reason for this was their refusal to put down the white-red-white flags.

Belarusians unfolded a big white-red-white flag at their stand 30 minutes before the game started. A German representative of the tournament's organizers Vanessa Reuter approached the fans at once saying that they had a right to cheer up their team only under the official red-green flag. When the fans refused to remove the flag she did it herself.

Belarusians held little white-red-white flags in their hands during the second quarter of the game. Guards and organizers approached the fans all the time asking to hide the flags. 

Polish viewers were surprised and incensed by such behaviour of the guards. Even a Lithuanian fan came over to support Belarusians, with his national flag. 

The organizers waited till break, when TV-cameras did not work, and started their action. 7 guards ran to three Belarusians and started to take their flags away and convoy the fans out. One of the fans refused to go, holding the fence with his hands. In the end, they put an armlock on him and carried him out of the sports hall.