Mainz 05 and the protest: Fans remain silent against security measures!

Mainz 05 and the protest: Fans remain silent against security measures!

On the evening of November 22nd, 2025, an exciting home game for Mainz 05 against TSG Hoffenheim is on the agenda. While the fans wait for the game at 8.30 p.m., things are simmering behind the scenes: organized football fans all over Germany are mobilizing to protest against the planned tightening of security measures in stadiums. echo-online.de reports that many fan groups decided to remain silent for the first twelve minutes of the game.

But the Mainz 05 fan scenes seem to be turning away from this boycott and are unlikely to take part. This follows a nationwide campaign launched by the “Fanszenen Deutschland” initiative and also supported by groups such as the Südtribüne Dortmund and the Südkurve Munich. The protest has the motto "Football is safe! No more populism - yes to fan culture!" and is directly directed against the decisions of the Conference of Interior Ministers (IMK), which are affected by the planned tightening of stadium bans and personalized ticket technology.

Fans criticize government intervention

Fans fear that the new measures will seriously endanger the free structures of fan culture. The discussion about the use of AI techniques for facial recognition in stadiums is also causing unrest. These issues were already discussed at the last meeting of the federal and state interior ministers, where the Rhineland-Palatinate Interior Minister Michael Ebling (SPD) defended the measures.

There was also widespread resistance in Leipzig, where thousands of fans took to the streets to express their disapproval. The demonstration attracted numerous supporters from all over Germany and ended with a final rally. It became clear here that the protest met with broad support not only locally, but nationwide. According to ZDF, the police estimated the number of participants in Leipzig at around 8,000, while the organizers spoke of up to 20,000 people.

Planned meetings and future measures

The next meeting of the interior ministers is scheduled for the beginning of December in Bremen. The necessary discussions about the planned security precautions that affect cities, police and clubs should be continued. The affected fan groups continue to emphasize the importance of preserving fan culture and rejecting excessive government intervention.

In a climate where security measures are constantly being tightened, it is clear that dialogue between fans, clubs and authorities is urgently needed. It remains to be seen whether today's protest in Mainz will lead to an increase or a relaxation of tempers. The fans show that they value not only the game, but also the culture and community in the stadium.