Search for Hertha fans: Berlin police release images of 18 suspects

Course of the riots on match day

According to investigators, the toll of the clashes was considerable: 21 police officers and 31 fans sustained minor injuries. The police had provisionally arrested five people immediately after the match. Further investigations, particularly for rioting and other related offenses, have now led to the securing of image recordings of the hitherto unknown suspects.

By publishing the photographs, the Berlin police are now asking the public for assistance in identifying the individuals shown. "By publishing photographs, the Berlin police are asking for help in identifying 18 individuals," the investigators' statement reads. Tips from the public are intended to help identify and hold the suspects accountable.

Statements from police leadership

The Berlin Police President, Barbara Slowik Meisel, described the behavior of some Hertha fans as "unexpectedly confrontational." According to her, officers were attacked with wooden sticks and flags, among other things. The match had been classified as a high-risk game in advance and was accompanied by an increased police presence. Slowik Meisel stated that the previous home game of Hertha BSC against Dynamo Dresden had been a "turning point" for the assessment of the security situation.

The German Police Union (GdP) also described the incidents in drastic terms. GdP spokesperson Benjamin Jendro spoke of a "mass of masked individuals who threw not only bottles and sticks but also metal trash cans at our colleagues." The top match in the capital had escalated into an "excess of violence" in which the emergency services were "defamed and massively attacked."

Reactions from the fan scene

Jendro explicitly welcomed the public search that has now taken place. "It is good that the public is finally being involved to identify and hold the perpetrators of violence at the Hertha vs. Schalke match accountable." At the same time, he called for video material from such operations to be published in the future to depoliticize the debate about police actions. According to Jendro, such a publication "would create transparency and relegate claims of disproportionate police violence against peaceful fans to the realm of fairy tales."

On the other hand, there is criticism from the fan scene. The Hertha Fanhilfe described the police operation as disproportionately harsh. The police and fan representatives also accused each other of provocations, excessive force, and a willingness to use violence – a pattern that has accompanied the processing of the incidents for months.

The public search now published marks a new phase in the investigations, which have been ongoing for about five months. It remains to be seen whether the search for the 18 individuals pictured will quickly lead to identifications. The police are calling on witnesses to contact the responsible departments with any information.

The authorities reserve the right to publish further images in the course of ongoing investigations should the current appeals not lead to the clear identification of all suspects.