German fans protest over security measures before national team game

Several thousand German football fans protested in Leipzig on Sunday against planned security measures in stadiums, a day before Germany play a decisive World Cup qualifier in the city.

About 8,000 supporters from 38 clubs took part, police said.

Organized fan groups are angry at plans for centrally imposed stadium bans, the personalization of tickets and what they see as blanket surveillance. They say football supporters are increasingly being treated as a security risk when only a small proportion are troublemakers.

The demonstration began with a march without chants. The fans were divided into different blocks.

On placards they also called on clubs to act and protect supporters. The fans say stadium atmospheres will suffer due to the new rules and teams will therefore not feel backed.

The protest a day before Germany's men host Slovakia in a direct battle for World Cup qualification was intended to draw greater attention to the issue.

The government says "necessary security measures" help everyone in a stadium enjoy the experience.