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Germany to beef up police patrols during World Cup
(AP)
Updated: 2006-05-25 16:52

BERLIN (AP)-- Germany will beef up police patrols during the World Cup, the government said Wednesday, a move aimed at reassuring visitors amid concern over racist violence and hooliganism.

The decision, weeks before the monthlong tournament opens June 9, comes as several racially motivated attacks have revived worries about the risk of racism and hate crimes.

"The goal is to increase the police presence in public areas in an effort to ward off possible attackers and to increase the sense of security among our guests," government spokesman Ulrich Wilhelm said.

In addition, police in each of Germany's 16 states will examine interaction between soccer hooligans and far-right extremists in an effort "to identify key people in advance."

Officers will make clear that, if any unrest occurs, they would be "swiftly found and held accountable," Wilhelm said.

Security officials have worked for months to ensure the tournament is not marred by hooligans, neo-Nazis or others. Concern has been running high after several attacks on dark-skinned people in Germany, including an Ethiopian-born engineer, a Korean student and a Turkish-born state lawmaker.

The lawmaker, Giyasettin Sayan, was hit on the head with a bottle last weekend in an eastern neighborhood of Berlin. The 56-year-old politician was released from the hospital on Wednesday.

German leaders, eager not to let such events mar the image of their country as an open, democratic nation, have called for redoubled measures to combat xenophobia, including a campaign for tolerance in schools.

"No tolerance for extremist violence, that is the human dignity affirmed in our constitution," Chancellor Angela Merkel said at a labor union conference Wednesday.

She added that no one should suffer discrimination on the basis of skin color, religion or other characteristics.

For its part, World Cup organizers said FIFA was launching a campaign against racism and discrimination at the tournament.

It will include putting banners reading "Say No to Racism" on the center circle before matches at each of the 12 stadiums and the proclamation of an anti-racism day, likely at the quarterfinal stage.

FIFA has long campaigned against racism in soccer.

Also Wednesday, police in Gelsenkirchen banned the far-right National Democratic Party from holding a demonstration on June 10, a day after Poland plays Ecuador in the local stadium.

Schoenfeldt said the ban was aimed at preventing "far-right extremists from marching through the streets of Gelsenkirchen to spread their racist and xenophobic statements."