From NICK PARKER
Chief Foreign Correspondent, in Nuremberg, Germany

GERMAN cops will use sweeping powers to collar England fans doing Basil Fawlty-style Hitler impressions at the World Cup.
Yobs will be instantly banged up for TWO WEEKS if they goose-step like John Cleese in his most famous Fawlty Towers scene.

And hard core louts who give Nazi salutes — like the one jokingly made by Michael Barrymore in Celebrity Big Brother — could be hauled before a judge within 24 hours.

If convicted of inciting hatred they will face jail terms of up to THREE YEARS.

Wearing joke German helmets or any offensive insignia will also result in a stretch behind bars.

The crackdown was revealed by police in Nuremberg, where England will play Trinidad and Tobago in a first-round World Cup match on June 15.

The city is particularly sensitive to World War II jibes.

Its gleaming World Cup stadium stands in the shadow of the parade ground used for Hitler’s notorious Nazi rallies in the 1930s.


The city was carpet-bombed by the Allies during the war.

Cops there say Nazi taunts are NOT funny and will NOT be tolerated.

Police chief Gerhard Hauptmannl, a 59-year-old former judge and Mafia crimebuster, said yesterday:


“We will come down hard on people who use insulting behaviour or make trouble.
We are very sensitive about our history.

England football fans should be aware that the Nazi salute and provocative behaviour like goose-stepping in public will be punished. We will offer the warmest welcome to true football fans. But anyone glorifying extremism here risks arrest.

We are prepared to use our police powers to hold fans for up to two weeks without charge if we feel they are a threat to public safety and order.

This used to be the city of the Nazi rallies but is now famous as the city of human rights. We do not live in the past.”

Around 10,000 England fans will have tickets for the match at the refurbished 44,000-seat Franken Stadium on the outskirts of the rebuilt Bavarian city.

But a similar number of Three Lions followers are expected to travel without tickets — including our nation’s notorious hooligan element.

The city’s police are beefing up CCTV surveillance with a £1.1million space-age computerised control centre.



It has a bank of high-definition flat screen monitors linked to cameras that can zoom in on a single face.

Close-up pictures can then be transmitted to snatch squads who will grab ringleaders in seconds.

A new cell block has been built at Nuremberg’s police HQ, with space for at least 65 prisoners.

Another 230 cells will be available in the area.

Even the stadium has its own lock-up block ready for hooligans and drunks.

More than 3,000 cops will be on red alert, including a rapid reaction force supported by highly-trained riot teams, helicopters, water cannon and dogs.

Uniformed British bobbies will also patrol grounds where England play.

Police station jailer Sergeant Horst Schwarz showed The Sun one of 14 purpose-built steel cages installed in the bowels of the nick.



He declared: “English, German or whatever, I don’t care. If they are hooligans, they will not cause problems once they arrive here.”

Police fear rival yobs who follow teams from the old East Germany may travel to confront English louts.

They are also worried racist Brits will attack black Trinidad and Tobago fans.

Mr Hauptmannl said: “We are co-operating with British police to look for any provocative behaviour in the city which might lead to violence.

“Racist abuse of black people by England fans will also be taken very seriously.



“If such behaviour is seen as a threat to order, my officers will have the power to remove offensive fans from the situation.

“They can then be held for up to two weeks without charge or charged under a fast track system and fined or jailed the next day.

“Either way, we have the power to deal with troublemakers and we will not hesitate to use it.”

More than 3,000 England fans are on a banning order list forbidding them to attend matches.

Tun Sie, wie wir sagen, nicht wie wir!

I think they are targeting hooligans which we, the US, do not have those type of fans in our "big" sport(s)...

Read the article

Where is the freedom?

Humor macht frei?

Freedom, what freedom?

Oh the irony.  In order to prevent people from dressing up like Nazis, the Nuremburg police have decided to act like Nazis.  

Soccer yobs. louts, hooligans, oh my!

They do get a wee bit out of control at some of those soccer matches.

Quoted: I think they are targeting hooligans which we, the US, do not have those type of fans in our "big" sport(s)... Read the article

I did.

Like I said, Act like a Nazi or make a Nazi jesture...go straight to jail.

Quoted: Where is the freedom?

They went from a socialist dictatorship to a democratic one!

It seems ze Germans are absolutely determined to wipe their history from the history books.

god, that is hilarious! i hope all the yobbos get in formation and do the basil goosestep down main strassen!

Quoted: Oh the irony.  In order to prevent people from dressing up like Nazis, the Nuremburg police have decided to act like Nazis.

Yeah, right. You don't even know what a Nazi really was. The hooligans will be sent to camps, and gassed? I don't think so.

Quoted: It seems ze Germans are absolutely determined to wipe their history from the history books make sure it never happens again.

Reality.

Quoted: Quoted: It seems ze Germans are absolutely determined to wipe their history from the history booksmake sure it never happens again. Reality.

Fixed it for you. He was right the first time.

This has absolutely nothing to do with "Making sure it never happens again". Come on, get serious.

Quoted: Quoted: Oh the irony.  In order to prevent people from dressing up like Nazis, the Nuremburg police have decided to act like Nazis.   Yeah, right. You don't even know what a Nazi really was. The hooligans will be sent to camps, and gassed? I don't think so.

Two weeks in jail for embarrasing the locals?  For doing something that is constitutionally protected here?  Up to three years if they get some BS "inciting racial hatred" charge?  Sounds Gestoppo like to me.    

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: It seems ze Germans are absolutely determined to wipe their history from the history booksmake sure it never happens again. Reality. Fixed it for you. He was right the first time. This has absolutely nothing to do with "Making sure it never happens again". Come on, get serious.

I AM serious. I grew up in Germany. Went to German schools and university. Worked there full-time. I'm a lot more familiar with how reality is over there than a lot of people, including you, apparently. Reality: Germans get the Holocaust drilled into their heads from a very early age in schools, newspapers, magazines, books, TV. I knew who Oskar Schindler was when I was ten years old. It's hard to go a day without being reminded of Germany's guilt. Yes, there are many who wish to wipe it from their history books, but a lot more who are terrified of it ever happening again, and do their best to remind people of it, to make sure it never happens again.

The Japanese, however....

95thfoot is absolutely correct.

Germans have absolutely no sense of humor when it comes to Nazi's.  They lived through it, and they are determined to never let it happen again.  Is this soccer policy over the top?  I don't know, but to say they are trying to erase it from their history is a load of crap.

And like 95thfoot has also said, you will not find any accounting of Pearl Harbor in a museum or textbook in Japan that is historically accurate.  

I'm with the Germans on this one.

/Bad German accent on

We will not tolerate anyone suggesting that we are intolerant. No mocking of our glorious Fatherland’s history will be permitted by order of the Fuher. Any inferior foreigners who suggest that we are Nazis will be sent to the concentration camp. We are watching you very closely.

/Bad German accent off

Who? Us? We don't make fun of the Nazi's!

the governments actions seems very parental.

If Prince Harry (aka "Harry the Nazi") goes to Germany, will he have diplomatic immunity? Do the Germans have a dossier on him with the tabloid pics, waiting to drop the boot on him?

Major Strasser: "We have a complete dossier on you: Harry Windsor, British, age 25. Cannot return to his country. The reason is a little vague. We also know what you did at that party in Wiltshire, Mr. Windsor, don't worry, we aren't going to use it."





ETA: any excuse to introduce these yobs to a GSD is cool.

Quoted: Oh the irony.  In order to prevent people from dressing up like Nazis, the Nuremburg police have decided to act like Nazis.

These Nazi hooligans are no joke.  In some stadiums they will block off entire sections and hold up huge Nazi flags.  Then if someone who is not dressed accordingly enters their section, you will be attacked.  They are no different then a street gang and they bring whaterve weapons they can find, they have even thrown flares at minority players an other fans.

Quoted: 95thfoot is absolutely correct. Germans have absolutely no sense of humor when it comes to Nazi's.  They lived through it, and they are determined to never let it happen again.  Is this soccer policy over the top?  I don't know, but to say they are trying to erase it from their history is a load of crap.

You can't even buy a model of a Messerschmitt 109 w/ correct markings in Germany- you'd be breaking the law. Has been that way since at least the 1950s- NO display of the Hakenkreuz (swastika)whatsoever in public, except as part of de-Nazification programs.

And like 95thfoot has also said, you will not find any accounting of Pearl Harbor in a museum or textbook in Japan that is historically accurate.

"You Amelicans dlopped the atom bom on us. We are the leal victims."

I have actually had Japanese people tell me this. In Germany, of all places.

This should be Cindy Sheehan's next cause to take up. I would love to see her camp out at Camp Adolf.
We can all hope. . .

Quoted: This should be Cindy Sheehan's next cause to take up. I would love to see her camp out at Camp Adolf. We can all hope. . .

Weeeelll.....she has gone on record as saying the IsraelisJews and their conspiracies behind the scenes are behind all the trouble in the Middle East.....somebody should photoshop a little mustache on her puss for that one.

Correct me if I am wrong, but the Brits are taunting the Germans with the nazi stuff, not trying to show sympathy with the nazis.  What's wrong with that?  If the Germans have a thin skin, then they should have thought of that when they started a war and killed all those Jews.

The Brits should do the "salute" en masse.  Let the krauts try to arrest them all.  

Quoted: They should do the "salute" en masse.  Let the krauts try to arrest them all.

They will. German cops don't fuck around. I got caught in an anti-US riot in Freiburg in 1986 re Pershing IIs and Reagan's bombing of Libya. when the cops take off the regular hat and put on the M43 cap, it's hammer time, GTFO- NOW! I saw some real hippies getting whomped by die Polizei and some real blood too. As I said, German cops don't fuck around.

Was soll das bezwecken?

Anti Nazi - NAZIs ?  

All of the Germans (with green cards) I work with agree with 95thFoot.  Don't flash that Nazi crap over there, it's taken seriously.

Quoted: Quoted: They should do the "salute" en masse.  Let the krauts try to arrest them all.   They will. German cops don't fuck around. I got caught in an anti-US riot in Freiburg in 1986 re Pershing IIs and Reagan's bombing of Libya. when the cops take off the regular hat and put on the M43 cap, it's hammer time, GTFO- NOW! I saw some real hippies getting whomped by die Polizei and some real blood too. As I said, German cops don't fuck around.

+1

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: It seems ze Germans are absolutely determined to wipe their history from the history booksmake sure it never happens again. Reality. Fixed it for you. He was right the first time. This has absolutely nothing to do with "Making sure it never happens again". Come on, get serious. I AM serious. I grew up in Germany. Went to German schools and university. Worked there full-time. I'm a lot more familiar with how reality is over there than a lot of people, including you, apparently. Reality: Germans get the Holocaust drilled into their heads from a very early age in schools, newspapers, magazines, books, TV. I knew who Oskar Schindler was when I was ten years old. It's hard to go a day without being reminded of Germany's guilt. Yes, there are many who wish to wipe it from their history books, but a lot more who are terrified of it ever happening again, and do their best to remind people of it, to make sure it never happens again. The Japanese, however....

You've been brainwashed my friend.  Guilt is not what you should be made to feel.  Guilt is bad, it implies you are responsible.  

i understand to a point, but isnt this the same country that conveniently left out their mid 1900s activities out of their history books?

Quoted: i understand to a point, but isnt this the same country that conveniently left out their mid 1900s activities out of their history books?

As others have pointed out, you're thinking of Japan, not Germany.  

It is, in fact, illegal to be or imitate Nazis, even jokingly, in Germany. Wolfenstein was banned in Germany for that reason.

My German teacher said they even made it illegal to name your kids Adolf.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: It seems ze Germans are absolutely determined to wipe their history from the history booksmake sure it never happens again. Reality. Fixed it for you. He was right the first time. This has absolutely nothing to do with "Making sure it never happens again". Come on, get serious. I AM serious. I grew up in Germany. Went to German schools and university. Worked there full-time. I'm a lot more familiar with how reality is over there than a lot of people, including you, apparently. Reality: Germans get the Holocaust drilled into their heads from a very early age in schools, newspapers, magazines, books, TV. I knew who Oskar Schindler was when I was ten years old. It's hard to go a day without being reminded of Germany's guilt. Yes, there are many who wish to wipe it from their history books, but a lot more who are terrified of it ever happening again, and do their best to remind people of it, to make sure it never happens again. The Japanese, however.... You've been brainwashed my friend.  Guilt is not what you should be made to feel.  Guilt is bad, it implies you are responsible.

Ah, yes, "die Gnade der spaeten Geburt", as Helmut Kohl said about generations not yet born when the Nazis attempted to rule or destroy the world. Well, the consequences of Germany's actions are still being felt around the world to this day.

Germans do not bear a direct responsibility for so many deaths, nor do the Russian and Chinese peoples for deeds done under their respective dictators, but it is their duty to make sure it never happens again, if they can help it.

We see how soon people here in the USA forget or distort the history of 9/11 already- how much do you think that might happen with events so monstrous as the Holocaust?

That's why people- not just Germans- need to be reminded of what generations past committed- so that they think twice before getting involved in such again.

The crackdown was revealed by police in Nuremberg, where England will play Trinidad and Tobago in a first-round World Cup match on June 15. The city is particularly sensitive to World War II jibes.

understatement of the year!

Quoted: I think they are targeting hooligans which we, the US, do not have those type of fans in our "big" sport(s)... Read the article

Never been to a Raiders game?

Soccer hooligans are cool.

Quoted: Quoted: I think they are targeting hooligans which we, the US, do not have those type of fans in our "big" sport(s)... Read the article Never been to a Raiders game?

Ummm....we're talking about the fans, not the players here.

Quoted: Soccer hooligans are cool.

Yeah, they've never done me wrong before.

Quoted: Quoted: They should do the "salute" en masse.  Let the krauts try to arrest them all.   They will. German cops don't fuck around. I got caught in an anti-US riot in Freiburg in 1986 re Pershing IIs and Reagan's bombing of Libya. when the cops take off the regular hat and put on the M43 cap, it's hammer time, GTFO- NOW! I saw some real hippies getting whomped by die Polizei and some real blood too. As I said, German cops don't fuck around.

1986?  Were you deployed at the time?  I ask because a friend's brother was over there about the same time.  He said the same thing about the German cops.  He got jumped by a couple punks and got knocked out.  When he came to, the punks were lying in a puddle of teeth and blood and the cops were shaking him and asking him if he was OK.  

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I think they are targeting hooligans which we, the US, do not have those type of fans in our "big" sport(s)... Read the article Never been to a Raiders game? Ummm....we're talking about the fans, not the players here.

Raiders fans are out of their fucking gourds, man.

Quoted: I AM serious. I grew up in Germany. Went to German schools and university. Worked there full-time. I'm a lot more familiar with how reality is over there than a lot of people, including you, apparently. Reality: Germans get the Holocaust drilled into their heads from a very early age in schools, newspapers, magazines, books, TV.

The East-Germans blamed the West-Germans for the Nazi era instead of blaming themselves like the West-Germans did, is there a difference between the views on the Nazi issue between the Ossis and the Wessis today?

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: They should do the "salute" en masse.  Let the krauts try to arrest them all.   They will. German cops don't fuck around. I got caught in an anti-US riot in Freiburg in 1986 re Pershing IIs and Reagan's bombing of Libya. when the cops take off the regular hat and put on the M43 cap, it's hammer time, GTFO- NOW! I saw some real hippies getting whomped by die Polizei and some real blood too. As I said, German cops don't fuck around. 1986?  Were you deployed at the time?  I ask because a friend's brother was over there about the same time.  He said the same thing about the German cops.  He got jumped by a couple punks and got knocked out.  When he came to, the punks were lying in a puddle of teeth and blood and the cops were shaking him and asking him if he was OK.

I was studying for my master's degree at the Univ. of Freiburg. Freiburg is like the Berkeley of Germany. All the Baader-Meinhof gang were from that area or had studied/hung around there, still had many hangers-on from the Sixties radical movement there. Every day at the Uni was a trip to Socialist LaLa Land.

The punks? Ah, yes, the punks. Worse than the hippies. "Hey, man, hasta mal 'ne Mark?"- the cry of a punk who's begging for money to buy beer or schnapps, since his welfare check ran out already (already spent on alcohol and dope) . I often heard from these smelly characters who lived on welfare in squatters' tenements. Directionless, lazy assholes.

OTOH Freiburg was a great place for military history. The French army occupied it after WW2 and some of those guys were OK. I remember taking to some of them in nightclubs or on the streetcar. French mil. vehicles all over the place.

The MGFH (Mil. historical research office and archive for the entire German armed forces from 1870) was right down the street from the university, and I used to hang out there quite a bit- a real shocker to the old Prussian-type officers who worked there when this hippie looking guy (me) came in one day. In order to gain admittance, I had to undergo a severe background check (they even called the police dept. in my hometown to check me out- luckily my uncle, a sergeant on the hometown PD, answered the phone ).

The MGFH was an oasis of sanity in this crazy riotous city. I could go in there in the readers' room, and read everything from Stars and Stripes to Soviet Army journals to Signal (WW2 German mag) to E. German soldiers' magazines, and every possible reference work on the German military old and new. I even did a term paper on soldiers' slang of the Bundeswehr, using materials there for research. It was, as the kids say, "way cool".

While all the rioting and tear gassing was going on outside, I'd go to luncheons and discussions with NATO officers and historians and talk about arcane topics like the Vichy French defence of Madagascar and the US occupation of Iceland in WW2....talk about life being funny, ironic and bizarre. Some of these officers apparently had some history with the Wehrmacht and Luftwaffe and would occasionally allude to it in conversation, but wouldn't go into great detail about it.

Oh, yes, the MGFH director's name, believe it or not, was Colonel Klink.

Quoted: Quoted: They should do the "salute" en masse.  Let the krauts try to arrest them all.   They will. German cops don't fuck around. I got caught in an anti-US riot in Freiburg in 1986 re Pershing IIs and Reagan's bombing of Libya. when the cops take off the regular hat and put on the M43 cap, it's hammer time, GTFO- NOW! I saw some real hippies getting whomped by die Polizei and some real blood too. As I said, German cops don't fuck around.

Hmmmmmmm