Armed police called to Turkish wedding brawl
What should have been a joyful event turned into a brawl after guests at a Turkish wedding in Vorarlberg came to blows with police who were called to the event after neighbours complained about the noise.
Residents in Feldkirch's Illstrasse took exception to wedding guests setting off loud fireworks and screeching their car tyres.
Around 5.30 pm six police officers arrived and found that 80 cars belonging to the wedding party were illegally parked, and that guests had gathered in the road.
"Officers asked people to move their cars and leave the road for their own safety," Chief Inspector Harald Mayer said.
After a brief verbal confrontation he said that around 20 wedding guests started to hit the police officers, and one officer fell to the ground. He was beaten and had to be treated in hospital for head and upper body injuries.
Police used pepper spray on the crowd, but when they showed no signs of dispersing they called for reinforcements, including Cobra special forces.
Mayer said that three men were arrested, but that the rest were able to flee.
The bride and groom said that they did not personally know any of the troublemakers. The groom’s brother, Ilkay Uzun, said that it is customary at Turkish weddings that guests can each bring a guest themselves.
He added that around 150 people attended the wedding and there were rumours that some of the uninvited guests were gang members. He said he tried to break up the fighting but got caught by pepper spray.
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Residents in Feldkirch's Illstrasse took exception to wedding guests setting off loud fireworks and screeching their car tyres.
Around 5.30 pm six police officers arrived and found that 80 cars belonging to the wedding party were illegally parked, and that guests had gathered in the road.
"Officers asked people to move their cars and leave the road for their own safety," Chief Inspector Harald Mayer said.
After a brief verbal confrontation he said that around 20 wedding guests started to hit the police officers, and one officer fell to the ground. He was beaten and had to be treated in hospital for head and upper body injuries.
Police used pepper spray on the crowd, but when they showed no signs of dispersing they called for reinforcements, including Cobra special forces.
Mayer said that three men were arrested, but that the rest were able to flee.
The bride and groom said that they did not personally know any of the troublemakers. The groom’s brother, Ilkay Uzun, said that it is customary at Turkish weddings that guests can each bring a guest themselves.
He added that around 150 people attended the wedding and there were rumours that some of the uninvited guests were gang members. He said he tried to break up the fighting but got caught by pepper spray.
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