AOn the one hand the peaceful celebration with the reception on the Römerberg, on the other hand attacks on police officers and paramedics well into the night: the police and fire brigade took a detailed stock of how the day went from their point of view on Friday. The result: thoroughly mixed. Because in the end there were 24 injured police officers, several people were arrested for bodily harm and property damage. The rescue service had to reorder forces in order to be able to cope with the number of operations and to be able to provide adequate care for the injured. In the end, more than 300 rescue workers were deployed.
The riots mainly took place on Paulsplatz, which was finally cleared during the night. Bottles and cans were thrown at officers and firecrackers were fired at. They suffered bruises, including in the lumbar and genital areas. But even before the team arrived at the Römer, a few people in the crowd threw bottles at police officers. Bottles and pyrotechnics were also thrown at a foot squad of rescue workers from the fire brigade. According to initial findings, most of the violent perpetrators were not “obvious football fans, but young people and adolescents who were seeking violence and were prepared to use violence,” according to a police spokesman. The officers arrested eight rioters. Police Vice President Björn Gutzeit said he was “stunned that violent criminals used this beautiful occasion for all of us, which only gives room for joy,” to commit crimes.
The police continued to criticize the burning of Bengal fire, which the emergency services observed along the route from the airport to downtown Frankfurt and later even more so on the Römerberg. During the several-hour wait, the fans kept lighting the red torches. Although security guards had searched the bags before entering the town hall square, the fans apparently still managed to smuggle pyrotechnics into the area or to deposit them there in advance. When the team stepped onto the town hall balcony late in the evening, so many Bengalos were burning in the crowd on the square that the Römerberg glowed red and was enveloped in clouds of smoke. Firecrackers were also ignited and rockets were fired from the crowd into the night sky.
Bengalo violations also by players will be prosecuted
The smoke drifted inside the Römer and triggered the fire alarm there, so that the celebration was accompanied by wailing sirens from then on. The police asked over loudspeakers to refrain from setting off fireworks “so that no other people would be endangered or even injured”. Inside the Römer, Eintracht board member Axel Hellmann said in an interview that no pyrotechnics were needed for a successful celebration. But Eintracht have passionate fans, so something like that can happen. However, the Eintracht players on the balcony also held burning Bengal torches in their hands.
The police announced on Friday that they would not discriminate between players and fans when penalizing Bengalo violations. All the people who ignited Bengalos and other pyrotechnics were documented on video and proceedings are now being initiated. However, it is not yet clear whether criminal offenses have actually been committed or whether the violations are still administrative offenses, according to a spokesman. If the latter is the case, the city’s regulatory office will continue the process. Even then, one expects “that double standards are not used”.
Burning off pyrotechnics always involves a risk that bystanders could be injured, this applies to the players on the balcony as well as to the fans on the pitch.
