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As German football’s “anti IMK” atmosphere boycotts and protest actions stretch into their second consecutive weekend, one of the interior ministers targeted by Bundesliga fans has spoken out on the matter. Bavarian interior minister Joachim Herrmann (CSU) – specifically referenced by banners held up at German football matches yesterday – spoke to Kicker about the protest movement in general.
Herrmann and his fellow state interior ministers are due to meet in Bremen midweek to discuss additional security protocols for German football matches. Fans across the German Bundesrepublik claim that measures such as personalized tickets that require I.D. at the gate and A.I. facial recognition software to recognize potential troublemakers infringe upon their civil liberties.
According to Herrmann, however, such policies aren’t even set to be discussed. Herrmann told Kicker that the most important topic on the docket will be coordinating security work amongst professionals through so-called “Stadium Alliances“; cohorts of stadium security officials who pool and share information about potential disruptions.
“The current debate about alleged plans by the Conference of Interior Ministers regarding stadium security is an absolute ‘straw man’,” Herrmann said. “Allegedly planned measures are being criticized that are not even up for debate at the upcoming Conference of Interior Ministers in Bremen.
”In particular, issues such as facial recognition in stadiums and personalized ticketing are not on the agenda,” Herrmann continued. “No such decisions are planned or envisaged. Fears are being stirred up for no reason.
“I consider it irresponsible to spread panic among fans with such false fear-mongering and to poison the security debate with unsubstantiated accusations,” Herrmann concluded. “Security work means that some challenges must be tackled decisively as a means of ensuring high standards in the future.“
How can one assess Herrmann’s statement?
It’s certainly interesting to learn that Herrmann went so far as to outright deny that specific measures were “not up for discussion“. One nevertheless wonders if this means that they won’t end up being discussed. Herrmann himself may not be fully briefed on the agenda. Even if he is, the work of “Stadium Alliance” groups remains rather nebulous.
The intra-stadium groups responsible for coordinating higher level security must, by definition, share information with one another as part of their shared directive. One assumes that the groups are already sharing A.I. recognition software and specific intelligence about specific individuals or fan supporter societies. This is the kind of work fans are protesting.
Herrmann can justifiably claim that Bundesliga enthusiasts are currently directing their ire wide of the mark, but the overall issue supporters are attempting to raise awareness of isn’t totally irrelevant. Fans wish to call attention to the fact that German football, in what one admits may be an irrevocable trend, leans heavier towards a police state.
The Interior Minister’s Conference in Bremen may be the ultimate red herring, but something must serve to motivate German football supporters to make a statement about their eroding liberties. A statement, even in a battle that can scarcely hoped to be won, still counts for something.
Football security officials, and whatever A.I. tools they opt to use, can and will make mistakes when it comes to policing specific fans. Bundesliga supporters have every right to demand that their fan culture not be ignored in the upcoming debates centering around how better to track and analyze them.
