“Excess of violence” in Frankfurt
Fan support and the police blame each other
November 27, 2023, 6:39 p.m
More than 200 people were injured in the Bundesliga game between Frankfurt and Stuttgart. The police condemn the serious riots. Meanwhile, the fan support umbrella organization blames overreaching officials for the “excess of violence” and is calling for a ban on pepper spray in stadiums.
Frankfurt police chief Stefan Müller strongly condemned the riots at the Bundesliga game Eintracht Frankfurt against VfB Stuttgart and announced further consistent action. “The images shocked me very much. Such an excess of violence is unacceptable,” said Müller in Frankfurt at a specially called press conference at which the public prosecutor’s office was also represented. In total, more than 200 people were injured in the riots, including more than 100 fans and more than 100 people on the police and security services side.
The fans criticized the effort as completely disproportionate and excessive. Müller rejected this. “There is no right to a legal vacuum. The Frankfurt police will not allow one,” Müller made clear with a view to the future. A special commission has already been set up. Around 50 people are investigating. The police chief added: “The violence is grossly disproportionate to the occasion. Apparently there was an outburst here that may have been building up over several months.” This was also caused by alcohol.
“The pictures speak for themselves,” said the police chief and spoke of barriers and fire extinguishers being thrown by the other side. Looking ahead to the Conference League game this Thursday evening (9 p.m./RTL and in the ntv.de live ticker) Against PAOK Saloniki, Müller said: “At the same time, we are of course preparing the game next Thursday. We will approach the game with the necessary professionalism, with composure. But we also expect the same from the problem fans.” It is a “Frankfurt problem that has nothing to do with special events at other league locations.”
Fan groups are calling for a ban on pepper spray in stadiums
The umbrella organization of fan aid organizations complains about increasing police attacks against football fans and calls for a ban on pepper spray in German stadiums. “Instead of showing the supposedly hard edge in their own country in preparation for the 2024 European Championship, the police should focus on communication and de-escalation with the fans,” it says Press release from the nationwide fan aid association.
“The police’s renewed escalation of violence against football fans, this time in Frankfurt, is the next climax in a devastating development that has been apparent for months. Ahead of the European Championships taking place in Germany next year, the police are apparently relying on an escalation strategy against fans,” explained the Umbrella organization of fan aids.
According to its own statements, the specialist organization promotes the interests of football fans and supports them in exercising and enforcing their civil rights. “This mix of violence and escalation is extremely dangerous and does not fit at all with the number of crimes and injuries in stadiums that have been declining nationwide for years,” writes the umbrella organization about the current situation and gives an incomplete list of what it believes to be excessive police operations this season 16 Playing professional football.
“I’ve never experienced anything like that and I’ve been going to football for a long time. I was there live and experienced it. I was shocked. A lot of people were shocked. We’ve never had so much blood and so many problems before.” said the spokeswoman for the Frankfurt fan support “13th Man”, Ina Kobuschinki, to the German Press Agency.
What was the reason for the riots?
The police officers called to help by the security service were massively attacked by Eintracht fans when they arrived on site. “Among other things, there were a number of targeted throwings of bottles, pyrotechnics and heavy iron bars,” the police report said. The police corrected their own post on social media on Saturday in the statement. “The indication initially published by the Frankfurt police via the short message service
Eintracht will also deal with the incident. “In the coming days we will turn over every stone and put every piece of the mosaic together in order to have a precise picture of how these scenes could have come about,” announced Eintracht board member Philipp Reschke. According to Reschke, there is “various information and different opinions” about the cause of the riots.