Don't mention the walk (Soccer Fans Who Use Nazi Humor at World Cup to be Jailed)

The Sun ^ | February 9, 2006 | NICK PARKER

[RWR8189]

Fawlty powers ... two weeks in jail if fans goose-step like Basil

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. Not awight ... salute like Barrymore could end with three YEARS in jail 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. Jail awaits ... Sun man Nick Parker inspects German cells 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.

It is possible another 1,100 names will be added before the World Cup tournament kicks off.

But German authorities are ignoring warnings about booze-fuelled aggro.

Bars will serve strong local beer from 1pm to 1am on match days.

[Betis70]

>>I´d do the best to behave like a good guest.

That is because you have class and tact. The same can't be said for everyone (either on FR, in England or in Germany).

I hope our USA boys do well over there. I plan to watch as many WC games as I can. For Korea/Japan, I had to go home, sleep, get up at 11PM and watch the games till I went to work the next morning. :D That was fun.

[Michael81Dus]

I see, but then again, killing 6 million innocent lives is a bit different than wearing *shudder* inappropriate beachwear. The Sun has (and I appreciate that) exaggerated the penalties. Yes, one or two years imprisonment are possible, but, as you may know, our "justice" system is very liberal. For a first-time Nazi salute in public you may get a warning by the police if you´re a foreigner (because you possibly didn´t know the law) and as a German 500 € or so fine. I think the Nuremberg police has well reasons to behave deterrent, considering the image of British hooligans. We don´t want disruptors, and we don´t want the public peace disturbed. "Come here and behave, so that everybody can enjoy the party" is the message. I mean, even though you are allowed to do the Nazi salute in the US in public, you don´t do it - same with flag-burning. We don´t insult other nations, and we shouldn´t make fun about crimes of today or the past.

[Michael81Dus]

LOL, same for me with the Atlanta Olypmics, but I was a student at HS then and we had summer break.

The US soccer team has improved, and when we kicked you out in the quarter finals last time, it wasn´t a landslide victory for us. I think the quarters are possible for the US this time, too.

[plain talk]

Ich denke, dass es im schlechten Geschmack ist, um Nazistische Grüße öffentlich durchzuführen. Während ich jemanden in privat verspotten kann, indem ich einen Nazistischen Gruß anrufe, würde ich es öffentlich nie tun. Aber ich finde auch, dass es erschreckend jemanden darum anhält, es zu tun. Hoffentlich eines Tages Ihr Land wird sich oben erheben das ist vorbei und im Stande sein, Redefreiheit zu dulden.

[Skywalk]

Werner von Klemperer and the gentleman that played Sergeant Schultz in Hogan's Heroes were both Jews.

And the guy that played the Frenchman was actually in a concentration camp.

Yet they could laugh at it. How about Germans getting a sense of humor (and understanding what FREEdom is...)

[freepatriot32]

Libertarian ping.To be added or removed from my ping list freepmail me or post a message here

[Betis70]

>>when we kicked you out in the quarter finals last time, it wasn´t a landslide victory for us.

Nope it sure wasn't. I recall Kahn bailed out his defense on one shot--forget by whom (Donovan maybe), just remember the his hand coming out of nowhwere as I was getting ready to scream "Gooooooaaaaal". :(

Ah well, at least France didn't win it that year.

[Supernatural]

Soccer thugs. There seem to be many in Britain and Ireland. Get drunk and start trouble. The rioting has killed many over the years.

I'm with you, find the troublemakers and put them in jail. Do anything to keep them from attending the games. And keep them off of the streets too.

When Pearl Harbor was attacked and the U.S. delcared war on all the Axis powers, Churchill responded with, "Thank God. We are saved".

[plain talk]

Would you say that it´s also totalitarian to arrest people without a court order and keep them in prison without even giving them the choice to inform their relatives, a lawyer or a hearing before a judge for months?

Who are you talking about? That isn't done to our citizens unless it is a matter of national security such as the shoe bomber. Or are you referring to the terrorists captured in Afghanistan? In those cases we are talking about terrorists plotting to kill hundreds, maybe thousands of people. So to equate treatment of a shoe bomber or a terrorist with someone making a hand gesture at a sporting event shows that you are way over your head in logically discussing this subject.

[darkangel82]

Ah well, at least France didn't win it that year.

France won it in 98 and then bombed in 02, not winning a match or even scoring a goal. Worst performance by a defending champ ever.

[Supernatural]

The person you are talking about lives in Germany and American law wasn't being discussed.

[plain talk]

I am aware of where he lives. His post I was responding to was as follows:

"So you say it´s totalitarian to punish people who enjoy insulting victims of the Nazi regime? Would you say that it´s also totalitarian to arrest people without a court order and keep them in prison without even giving them the choice to inform their relatives, a lawyer or a hearing before a judge for months? Ok, then we both live in countries with totalitarian governments."

[Supernatural]

Oops, you are right. I jumped the gun, sorry.

I think the other guys whole point is that some people are just trying to stir up trouble. Maybe I missed his point too. I've been known to do that.

[ko_kyi]

My post was referring to a line in a very funny Fawlty Towers episode. If you don't find the Nazis suitable subjects for humor, take it up with John Cleese, Mel Brooks, the cast of Hogan's Heros, whatever.

I'll make you a deal - I won't comment on your laws if you don't make me watch soccer.

[Canard]

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

What? Err, yeah we have no black people in Britain. This is the sentance that makes least sense, England v Trinidad and Tobago is one of the least likely candidates for trouble in the competition.

German police should spend more time worrying about the Germany v Poland fixture...

[Michael81Dus]

sofa king called my country totalitarian because we enforce our - well-reasoned - laws with usual practices (like arrest, court hearing, lawyer assistance, conviction, and imprisonment/fine). I think that it´s not up to you to call Germany totalitarian, unless you want to be called like that, too.

[Michael81Dus]

Dann sind wir uns ja einig, dass Nazi-Grüße Ausdruck schlechten Geschmacks sind. Umso mehr, wenn man es in dem Land tut, von die Schreckensherrschaft der Nazis ausging. Wir tolerieren Redefreiheit, aber die eigenen Rechte können nur so weit gehen, wie sie die Rechte anderer nicht verletzen. Und die Ehre der Toten, der Opfer, sind hier anerkanntes Schutzgut. Jeder darf seine Meinung sagen, jeder kann sagen, dass er dieses Land, die Regierung, Nachbarn, Juden, Christen, Moslems missachtet. Nur darf er dabei nicht deren Ehre angreifen. Genau das geschieht aber bei Beleidigungen, beim Nazi-Gruß, etc. So, genug geredet, ich glaube ich habe meine Position deutlich gemacht. Ein schönes Wochenende!

[Michael81Dus]

Hoagan´s Heroes is funny, and you can watch them in Germany, too (at least they were shown on TV). And we could laugh about it. But it was a POW-camp for west-front enemies. I think noone could have made a funny series about a KZ or a POW-camp for Russians (or a Soviet POW-camp for Germans).

[Michael81Dus]

And we were VICE-CHAMPION (the first loser)!! :-)

[Joe Boucher]

I don't envy your task, trying to show your best face all the while terrorists, soccer hooligans and GOD knows what else to expect.
Bad taste is world wide.
I am not a Nazi sympathizer, just a backer of individual liberties.