Football fans against state power
“The whole of Hamburg hates the police” choreo causes trouble
February 26, 2024, 2:22 p.m
A controversial police operation in Bergedorf is spreading further. 855 HSV fans were checked there in mid-February. With a clear message, supporters of the club are questioning the approach. This provokes criticism. Fans and police also clashed at the game between Braunschweig and Hertha.
A choreography by HSV fans for the controversial police operation a week earlier in Bergedorf sparked criticism from Hamburg politicians. “We are talking about the police who accompany and protect every one of your games,” wrote Bundestag member Dorothee Martin on X. She called on the Hamburg second division team to take a stand.
The club distanced itself “clearly and unambiguously” from the content of the choreography in a statement at midday. “Our living room, the Volksparkstadion, is no place for hate messages and no place for blanket condemnations of people and professional groups,” it said. The HSV announced a critical exchange with the authors. The club was not aware of the choreography.
At the second division home game against SV Elversberg (1-0), Hamburger SV fans showed, among other things, two banners that read: “Never a friend, never a helper. The whole of Hamburg hates the police.” The choreography refers to a federal police raid the weekend before last.
The trigger happened a week ago
A large contingent of emergency services stopped a regional train and checked 855 Hamburg fans. The aim was to look for suspected perpetrators of violence who had clashed with Borussia Dortmund supporters in September last year. According to the police, 31 suspects have been identified. In addition to the fan protests, the operation also triggered criticism from politicians. The police union (GdP), on the other hand, defended the operation before the game and criticized the behavior of some supporters.
“The measures taken by the Federal Police were quite prudent and proportionate,” said Andreas Roßkopf, Chairman of the GdP for the Federal Police: “Our colleagues just did their job – and exactly as prescribed. They followed suit “We have acted in an absolutely level-headed and proportionate manner based on our findings and must now allow ourselves to be criticized and even threatened for this.”
The new HSV coach Steffen Baumgart was himself a riot police officer in Schwerin at the time of reunification. When asked about the fan statements, the 52-year-old kept a low profile. “This is the first time I’ve heard that there was a police operation. That’s why I can’t assess it at all,” said Baumgart and added: “I think that we keep coming back to the situation: What was good? What wasn’t good? What was appropriate? What wasn’t appropriate? I don’t think I’m the right person to talk to about that.”
Police operation at the game in Braunschweig
Another game in the second division at the weekend also caused new excitement in the tense relationship between the police and fans. The game between Eintracht Braunschweig and Hertha BSC was overshadowed by riots. In the aftermath, however, there were some significantly different representations.
According to the Braunschweig police, after verbal provocations and scuffles between supporters of both teams in the final phase of the game, physical altercations broke out after the final whistle, which would have “necessitated” police intervention.
200 Eintracht Braunschweig supporters then showed solidarity against the police. The situation escalated, according to the police, who pushed back the supporters “using immediate coercion”, which triggered “massive physical attacks on emergency services”.
The situation was only brought back under control through “continuous coercive measures, including the use of pepper spray.” The police reported 13 injured officers and one injured police horse on Sunday. A person from the fan scene was taken to a hospital for first aid.
Five-year-old girl run over
In addition to several arrests, the personal details of a large number of people were established. Among other things, criminal proceedings were initiated for breach of the peace, physical assault, dangerous bodily harm, attempted release of prisoners and damage to property.
Eintracht, however, announced that “at least five Eintracht fans suffered serious to very serious head or facial injuries” and had to be treated in hospitals. “A five-year-old girl was overrun by police officers and suffered a severe shock,” the association continued.
According to Eintracht Braunschweig, violence against the police is rejected, but the extent of injuries “to so many people raises questions about the proportionality of this deployment and the appropriate use of police resources by individual officers.” Hertha BSC’s fan support team made a clear verdict: “It’s completely unnecessary to proceed like this here.”