Football fans in Leipzig: protest against security policy on Sunday!

Football fans in Leipzig: protest against security policy on Sunday!

Next Sunday, November 16, 2025, football fans from all over Germany are expected to attend a large demonstration in Leipzig. The call to participate comes mainly from ultras who organize a joint journey. While the assembly authority reported a number of participants of 5,000 for the event, insiders estimate the actual number to be 10,000 to 15,000 or even more. The demonstration begins at 11:30 a.m. on Richard-Wagner-Platz and will run in a clockwise direction around the city center. We can already rely on feedback from 40 to 50 ultra groups from various football leagues.

This demonstration was organized at short notice and was triggered by an upcoming conference of interior ministers on new security requirements in football stadiums. The high mobilization among Ultras shows a strong desire to defend their own fan culture, while at the same time emphasizing that participants should treat each other with respect in order to avoid arguments. The police will accompany the event and have requested additional forces from other federal states to ensure security.

Background of the protests

The demonstration is seen not only as an expression of fan culture, but also as a critical voice against the repressive fan politics initiated by politicians as part of the law-and-order strategy. This policy is perceived by many as a threat to the vibrant fan culture in Germany, which is admired internationally. At the last Bundesliga games, people protested against the planned measures with banners in the fan curves. A central concern is the upcoming Interior Ministers' Conference (IMK) at the beginning of December, at which the organizers and participants want to speak out against measures such as personalized tickets and stricter stadium ban guidelines that could harm fan culture. The slogan of the demonstration is: "Football is safe! No more populism - yes to fan culture!" sportschau.de reports that the last nationwide fan demonstration took place in October 2010 in Berlin, where up to 10,000 participants were present.

The organizers, including the “Fan Scenes in Germany” network, criticize politicians’ communication and call for more transparency regarding future security measures. They expect the demonstration in Leipzig to set an example for the preservation of fan culture and to be the start of further protest actions in German stadiums. Further protest actions are also planned in view of the upcoming DFB international match against Slovakia on Monday in Leipzig, which underlines the explosiveness of the demonstration ultra1894.de.

Saxony's Interior Minister Armin Schuster also commented positively on the increased interest in the topics of the Interior Ministers' Conference and fan culture in Leipzig. While some rival Ultras have canceled participation due to internal differences, the expectation remains that a large number of fans will show up in club colors on Sunday and bring reduced items such as pyrotechnics or face masks.