WDR-Bericht: Angriff von Dortmund, Essen & Köln auf den Auswärtsmob der Schalker Ultràs

Early Sunday morning, several hundred soccer fans clashed in Gelsenkirchen. Four people were seriously injured, including a bus driver. Police are concerned in light of the upcoming Revierderby in March. It cannot be ruled out that the attack on the Schalke fans will "provoke a reaction." On March 11, FC Schalke 04 plays against Borussia Dortmund – a high-risk match. "We appeal to the clubs and both sets of fans not to allow the situation to escalate further in the coming weeks," said a police spokesperson. On Sunday morning, police received numerous emergency calls and officers were dispatched to Gelsenkirchen-Schalke. Several hundred members of the organized Schalke fan scene had gathered at a clubhouse to travel by bus to the away game in Berlin. Brawl with baseball bats According to initial investigations, at least 100 violent individuals, presumably from the fan groups of Rot-Weiss Essen and Borussia Dortmund, suddenly joined the group around 6:30 a.m. A mass brawl ensued. A video circulating on social media on Sunday shows a bus and dozens of people apparently running away. A man can be heard describing the scene, saying that Dortmund fans "just showed up" and started "a mass brawl." Police confirmed upon inquiry that the video "undoubtedly originates from the situation." According to police, the fans attacked each other with baseball bats, among other weapons. At least four people were seriously injured, including a bus driver. Paramedics treated the injured at the scene. They were then taken to a hospital for inpatient treatment. RWE CEO: "An action nobody needs!" By the time police arrived at the clubhouse, the attackers had apparently already dispersed. Police then allowed the fan buses to leave. They are now investigating the incident for breach of the peace and aggravated assault. Rot-Weiss Essen chairman Marcus Uhlig strongly condemned the incident. When asked by WDR, Uhlig said that this was an "action" that nobody needed. Before the RWE match, the police had spoken with him and informed him that Essen fans were suspected of being involved in the attacks in Gelsenkirchen. The club issued an official statement on its website: "As a club, we condemn this attack in the strongest possible terms! Violence and brutality are incompatible with the values ​​that Rot-Weiss Essen and the Hafenstraße family stand for. We strongly object to the fact that those who commit such acts call themselves fans or supporters of RWE!" Source: https://www1.wdr.de/nachrichten/ruhrg... © WDR 2023