Post-Hansa vs. Hertha: Few Skirmishes
The police report a limited number of disturbances during their intervention at the second division encounter between FC Hansa Rostock and Hertha BSC. The 0-0 stalemate on Sunday was flagged as a potential flashpoint due to the fan bases in attendance.
Approximately 2600 Hertha supporters journeyed to Rostock, with the transportation to the Ostseestadion running smoothly, according to the police. The joint march of 700 Hansa followers to the stadium only caused minor traffic interruptions.
During the match, some spectators from the Berlin sector attempted to dismantle protective screens towards the south stand. These screens suffered damage in the process. The police and FC Hansa had previously agreed on deploying security personnel between the fervent supporter sections, aiming to segregate the two fan bases.
Pyrotechnics were deployed by Hertha enthusiasts throughout and post-match, as well as hucked in the direction of law enforcement personnel. The police declared that those responsible for violating the Explosives Act and causing harm would now be under investigation.
A pig's head wrapped in a Berlin scarf in the vicinity of the south stand further inflamed tensions among both fan bases, eliciting disgraceful conduct.
Berlin-based fans reported that Hertha memorabilia had been stolen by unknown individuals, leading to the filing of two criminal complaints by evening. The police dispatched 850 officers from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Berlin, and Schleswig-Holstein.
Despite the high-risk categorization, the Bundesliga 2 match between Hansa Rostock and Hertha BSC ultimately resulted in only a few confrontations. Despite the failed attempts to dismantle protective screens by Hertha fans, Hansa Rostock's Bundesliga 2 rival managed to maintain order thanks to the agreed-upon security measures.
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Incidents like those during the high-risk match between FC Hansa Rostock and Hertha BSC are not rare in the football community, particularly in East Germany and later in unified Germany, where the supporters of BFC Dynamo were known for engaging in destructive behavior, ranging from extensive vandalism to violent clashes with opponents and law enforcement. Examples of such disturbances include widespread riots during a match against F.C. Hansa Rostock on March 16, 1991, in which the police were forced to deploy tear gas and water cannons to control the chaos, resulting in 21 injuries [1]. There were also instances of pyrotechnics being used during matches involving BFC Dynamo supporters, such as during a match against Tennis Borussia Berlin in the 2008-09 NOFV-Oberliga Nord, where a fan in the guest block threw a banger onto the pitch, precipitating a police intervention with tear gas and truncheons [1]. In some cases, supporters of BFC Dynamo would also engage in theft, such as smashing shop windows and looting shops during matches and pre-match activities [1].
[1] Enrichment Data
