After Silent Protest Designed To Prove They Can Behave, Swedish Soccer Fans Misbehave

AIK - DIF SvFF Protest Tifo Bengal Inferno 199 2011

Fans of Djurgården and AIK decided to take a stand during the opening stages of yesterday's "Stockholm derby match." By remaining silent for a ninth of the soccer game, they were protesting "all they consider to have gone wrong with game."

"The stands will be quiet in order to demonstrate the importance of a vibrant and positive terrace culture and to protest against those who want to hurt football and its audience."

The Black Army identified a list of perceived threats to the game including "collective punishment" and "policy decisions which threaten the rule of law" which they argued displayed an "unacceptable attitude to Swedish supporters."

How'd it go? They remained relatively silent for the first 9:58. Then, this:

After the half-time break supporters from both teams showed a less savoury side of "terrace culture" in Swedish football when they lit a slew of firecrackers and flares, forcing the referee to interrupt the match and pull the teams off the pitch.

The players remained in the changing-rooms for some seven minutes before resuming a hard fought battle that produced no further goals and left AIK's hopes of winning the championship effectively in tatters. ... Stockholm police reported that almost 90 supporters were detained in connection with the match with two arrested for aggravated assault.

The smoke arrives just before the four-minute mark.

Football fans stage silent derby protest [The Local] (H/T Tomuban)