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National shame
Germany struggles in wake of violent hooliganism
Posted: Thursday June 25, 1998 09:32 AM
Special from L'Equipe, the French sports daily German
hooligans' actions have deeply disturbed their fellow countrymen, as shown
by money drives and polls urging for Germany to pull
out of the World Cup. Ever since the attack by Neo-Nazi hooligans
that left policeman Daniel Nivel struggling for his life, the whole country
has been trying to evacuate its guilt and shame. And the close-ups
of the aggression that were published on the front page of Bild
Zeitung, which, with a 10-million circulation, only sold 4.5 million
copies, are not making it any easier. The 17-year-old Austrian fan
who took the pictures, Walter S., from Vienna, was arrested Tuesday. He was
located in Saint-Denis' Stade de France stadium
during the match between Austria and Italy with the
help of the Austrian police. Two rolls taken during the aggression
were found on him, and they are being used to identify the culprits. The
fan, who's known to be "fascinated by hooligans," apparently accompanies
German ones often, the police said. The photos that were sold to
Bild for 3,500 marks - about US$1,900 - apparently come from these
rolls. Editor-in-chief Udo Roebel sent the 15 shots to the French police
Wednesday.
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For the Germany-Iran match Thursday in Montpellier, there will be 1,500 policemen to handle 6,000 fans (AP) |
The things that the fan was reported to have said in
the newspaper were overwhelming and frightening: "We got to a small street
where three cops were on their own. Two of them ran away and the third one
was trying to load his weapon. We got him. One of us broke his weapon in
two and hit him on the head with the butt. Another one then went after him
with a beer bottle, yet another one hit him on the head with a wooden
board. They all stepped on him and hit him. They were wild, real animals."
This piece seems to embarrass the German newspaper now. It said on
the front page Wednesday that it would donate 50,000 marks - about
US$27,000 - to David Nivel's family because "many readers have been touched
by the sad fate of this family" whose father "will maybe keep very serious
after-effects and never be able to work again." It also said that it had
opened a bank account for donations. A solidarity chain has taken
place at all levels of a deeply shocked society. Private
television station RTL polled its audience and 62.1 percent were in favor
of the German national team giving its World Cup bonus - about US$3 million
if they win - to the Nivel family. State-owned TV station ARD polled 19,937
spectators, and 53 percent said they wanted Germany to withdraw from the
World Cup - which the German federation envisaged but quickly decided
against -, 46.7 being against. ARD also opened a special bank account to
collect donations, and several solidarity operations have been launched all
over Germany by policemen and other associations. German fans have
been strictly filtered before Wednesday's Germany-Iran match in
Montpellier. Train and highway border controls have been reinforced. In
Sarrebruck, two young Germans from Karlsruhe who were transporting all
kinds of small weapons were arrested. German border police chief Guenter
Pawendenat said six other hooligans had been arrested before. For
the match, there will be 1,500 policemen to handle 6,000 fans who should
have a hard time finding booze. The sale of take-away alcoholic beverages
will be forbidden in Montpellier between Thursday and Friday at 8 p.m., and
bars will have to close at 1 p.m. Copyright 1998,
L'Equipe
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