The umbrella organization for fan aid in German football has called for a ban on pepper spray in German stadiums after clashes between violent football fans and the police at the Bundesliga game between Eintracht Frankfurt and VfB Stuttgart on Saturday. “The violent police operations involving the massive use of pepper spray must stop and a ban on pepper spray in police operations during football must be considered,” board member Linda Röttig was quoted as saying in a statement on Monday.
Pepper spray, which was also used extensively by the police in Frankfurt, was, according to fan aid, “probably the most unsuitable means used by the police in fully occupied stadiums. Pepper spray leads to numerous injuries – among fans and the police, by the way.” The fan aid organizations also complained that fans were being brutally and ruthlessly attacked by the police with “horrifying regularity”.
GdP: “Stadium bans must not become a taboo topic”
The police union (GdP) in Hesse, meanwhile, called on the state to take even more decisive action. The interior ministers of the federal states and Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) are called upon to discuss violence in football stadiums quickly and intensively, the GdP said in a statement. “Anyone who compromises legal interests such as physical integrity, life and health of others by exercising brutal violence in football stadiums must be consistently and permanently excluded from our football arenas,” explained GdP boss Jens Mohrherr.
Hesse’s GdP also called for penalties to be implemented consistently. If so-called violent sport perpetrators are identified, there must be noticeable consequences. “Stadium bans and their consistent enforcement must not become a taboo topic,” it said.
A comment from Marc Heinrich, Frankfurt Published/Updated: , Recommendations: 34 Katharina Iskandar Published/Updated: Recommendations: 35 Marc Heinrich, Frankfurt Published/Updated: Recommendations: 3
According to the Frankfurt police, 57 police officers and 59 security service employees were injured as of Monday. According to a statement from Frankfurter Fanhilfe on Monday, there were over 100 injuries among fans. The police arrested several suspects during the attacks. In addition, a special commission was set up to “clarify the events comprehensively and promptly”. Among other things, investigations are underway “for serious breaches of the peace and physical attacks on law enforcement officers.”
