More than 800 HSV fans were held for hours after the away game in Rostock on Saturday. Now they are making serious accusations against the police.
Around 1,000 people were stuck on a train in Bergedorf for almost seven hours on Saturday evening. The federal police were looking for suspicious HSV fans who are said to have fought with BVB supporters in Mannheim in September 2023. Now, on the way back from the away game at Hansa Rostock, the time had apparently come for a major control operation. According to a statement from the Federal Police, there were also “physical attacks by Hamburger SV supporters on police officers” in Rostock on the match day.
The RE1 journey ended in Bergedorf at 7:45 p.m. and the first identity checks began at around 8:10 p.m. “The police were very aggressive towards the HSV fans, there was very little communication from the start,” reported a Hamburg supporter who was on the stopped train in an interview with t-online. Little by little, rumors arose that there would be a large police blockade. “Then it was said: ‘The train stops here and doesn’t move any further. Everyone is now being checked.'”
“The right hand didn’t know what the left hand was doing.”
Around 1,000 people sat on the regional train, 855 of whom were part of the HSV. The officials acted more or less haphazardly and haphazardly, said the fan, who wished to remain anonymous. “The right hand didn’t know what the left hand was doing. A police officer pushed me away and told me to go back in line. I just said that his colleague had just sent me here.”
Those who were lucky were checked early and allowed to leave the station. Those who were unlucky only had their turn as number 855 – and had to wait until 2.20 a.m. very early on Sunday morning. Women were also checked, although only men were wanted. But this information never even got through to the officers on site. A young girl apparently wanted to get out a few stops earlier, but was prevented from doing so – the reason being the upcoming check in Bergedorf.
The situation on the train itself became increasingly difficult. “It was warm, people were screaming that they wanted water. One person said paramedics were needed, but the police said ‘There’s no’.” Several people should Circulation problems got.
Other victims reported that they were denied access to the toilet or that this was only possible under supervision. Drinks are said to have only arrived after 90 minutes – and only after the fan support north stand of the HSV supporters had called in a lawyer.
HSV fans announce legal action against the police
Fan Aid and the HSV Supporters Club announced on Sunday that they would take legal action against the operations management. “The entire operation was arbitrary, disproportionate and unlawful.” Those affected should make memory protocols and contact fan support.
The left-wing faction now wants to submit a small question to the Senate about the police’s actions. “The whole operation raises serious questions about proportionality,” said Cansu Özdemir, justice policy spokeswoman for the Left Party. “If over 850 fans are checked for hours for a few suspects, it gives the impression that the fans are being taken into collective custody. It is absolutely inappropriate to lock people in police custody for hours without toilet facilities and to deprive them of drinking water on an overheated train “to leave it to ourselves,” said Özdemir. The operation must urgently be dealt with politically and legally, she demanded.
“Holding up a publicly accessible regional train with 1,000 people on board for hours seems inappropriate,” said Sina Imhof, domestic policy spokeswoman for the Green Party. “The police action, which also affected numerous minors and women, does not appear to have been sufficiently thought through.”