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Soccer violence leaves more than a dozen fans injured

More than a dozen people were injured and 229 fans taken into police custody on Sunday after a weekend of soccer-related violence in the eastern German town of Dresden.

Clashes broke out between fans before and after Dynamo Dresden's second-team beat Lokomotiv Leipzig 2-0 in a fifth division game watched by a crowd of 6000 on Sunday.

Just over 1,200 police officers in riot armor broke up the violent clashes, but more than 10 supporters and four police officers were injured.

Three arrests have already been made for grievous bodily harm, but more are expected as police process hours of video evidence.

The club and local authorities had expected violence.

After angry clashes between rival supporters on Sunday morning, 181 soccer fans were taken into police custody following two separate incidents in the town centre before kick-off.

And according to reports in the German press, a group of 500 Leipzig fans were then attacked by 650 Dresden fans as they went to leave the Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion after the game on their way to the nearby railway station. Around 50 people were detained following the incident.

On Saturday, a group of 250 fans from third division Dynamo Dresden were only prevented from clashing with supporters from visiting Berlin-side FC Union by police intervention.

Some of the 250-strong group of Dresden fans were heard to chant "Berlin Jews" and gave the Nazi salute, which is banned in Germany.

A police presence of 1,500 officers in riot gear, plus a dozen armored vehicles, form a barrier preventing a meeting between the two groups of fans at Dresden railway station, while two police helicopters monitored the situation.
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