The behavior of the Berlin police during the Hertha vs. FC Schalke 04 match has already sparked debate. Now, S04 fans are also leveling serious accusations against law enforcement.

Even three days after the 0-0 draw at Hertha BSC Berlin, the behavior of the Berlin police continues to be a topic of debate among the clubs involved. Initially, following the controversial police operation in front of Hertha BSC’s Ostkurve, the executive board and management of Hertha BSC issued clear statements.

Now, the “Königsblaue Hilfe” fan group is also criticizing the behavior of the Berlin police. The group speaks of aggressive and provocative conduct by the police around the Olympic Stadium—including in the visitors’ section. Regarding the incidents in the home section, where several fans were injured, they declined to comment on the specifics, as they were not present.

“What we can attest to, however, is the police forces’ extremely aggressive behavior toward visiting fans throughout the entire day!” writes the fan group on its website. “Even at the entrance and during the game, the police acted provocatively in the visitors’ section and tried to provoke an escalation.” There was also inappropriate behavior during the 90 minutes.

“Throughout the entire match, large police units repeatedly moved through the area immediately behind the visitors’ section on the lower tier—an area already secured by security personnel and extremely overcrowded. Time and again, they forced their way through the fans by pushing and shoving, accompanied by various verbal outbursts. No operationally relevant reason was apparent, and the risk of escalation was palpable,” explained Fanhilfe.

The organization describes the deployment strategy as senseless, violent, and escalatory. “After the game, the scenes that were obviously intended to be captured unfolded near the stairs of the Olympiastadion S-Bahn station. For no apparent reason, a large number of police officers stormed into the crowd, which was peacefully dispersing, and pushed parts of it toward the staircase exit. In doing so, they deliberately accepted that fans would tumble down the stairs, in some cases falling on top of one another, and that only through calmness could an extremely dangerous situation be prevented. “Violent action was also taken against people on the forecourt of the staircase area, and they were massively provoked,” according to Fanhilfe.

Berlin’s Senator of the Interior, Iris Spranger, has already stated that the incidents surrounding the match must be investigated. It will be interesting to see what the outcome will be.