Host Nation Update, Nov. 6, 2023
Peaceful Demonstration for a Free Palestine in Stuttgart – Incident Occurs on the Margins of the Event
On Sunday afternoon, around a thousand people gathered in Stuttgart to demonstrate for a free Palestine. The event was mostly peaceful, but an incident occurred on the sidelines where a 42-year-old man was attacked and taken to the hospital.
The demonstration, accompanied by a large police presence, took place at Schillerplatz in the center of Stuttgart. The police reported an “emotional, heated atmosphere,” but the rally and march remained peaceful. The event concluded at 6 p.m.
During the pro-Palestinian assembly, the 42-year-old man was attacked on Tübinger Straße, sustaining severe head injuries. The background of the incident is currently under investigation, but according to the police, the attack is unrelated to the assembly. Three men, aged 41 and 46, were arrested.
Additionally, a woman provoked participants in the rally by displaying an Israeli flag and making an obscene gesture. The police had to intervene to calm the situation.
A pro-Palestine rally organized by the Palästinakomitee association took place on Saturday, with several hundred participants marching from Wilhelmsplatz to Rotebühlplatz and then to Kronprinzplatz. There were no notable incidents, and the situation remained peaceful.
The police were present with several hundred officers and a mounted police unit. Both banners and statements from participants will be subject to legal scrutiny.
The demonstration was registered by a private individual, and the organizer requested at the outset for a peaceful demonstration without denigrating other nationalities and religions. (SWR Violetta Hagen 5 November 2023)
Bomb defusal in Stuttgart successful – Unexploded ordnance was buried deep in the ground.
On Sunday, a 250-kilogram World War II bomb found between Stuttgart-Steinhaldenfeld and Fellbach-Schmiden was successfully defused. Authorities announced this shortly after 1 p.m. As a precaution, approximately 1,900 residents in the surrounding area of Steinhaldenfeld were evacuated earlier in the morning. The evacuation and road closures were lifted in the afternoon. Around 200 personnel from the police, fire department, and emergency services were involved in the operation.
The evacuation of Steinhaldenfeld proceeded without any disruptions. Most residents had already left the area when the police instructed them to evacuate their homes. Only a few took advantage of the option to seek shelter in the Steinhaldenfeld gymnasium during the evacuation. The city had informed the affected individuals in advance about the defusal operation. The bomb was buried deep in the ground, making bomb defusals inherently unpredictable. The level of danger and complexity of the defusal often become apparent only during the operation, depending on the construction and condition of the explosive device.
During the bomb defusal operation, the field roads in the security zone were not accessible. The K1910 road to Fellbach-Schmiden (Rems-Murr district) was closed between the junction of Kleiner Ostring and the intersection with Höhenstraße. Local diversions were put in place, and bus line 58 between Bad Cannstatt and Fellbach-Schmiden temporarily ceased operation. (SWR Fabian Ziehe 5 November 2023)
Round of 16 in the DFB-Pokal: VfB Stuttgart in, Bayern Out
Bayern Munich is out, but two teams from the southwest remain in the round of 16 of the DFB-Pokal. VfB Stuttgart will face Borussia Dortmund, a challenging draw for Coach Sebastian Hoeneß’s team. The match is scheduled for the upcoming Saturday, November 11th, at 3:30 PM.
VfB-Trainer Sebastian Hoeneß expressed his excitement about having a home game and acknowledged the tough task ahead against Dortmund. He stated, “We want to achieve something in the cup, and for that, we’ll have to overcome Dortmund. We’ll prepare accordingly when the time comes.”
- FC Kaiserslautern (FCK) will also have a home game in the round of 16, facing 1. FC Nürnberg in a 2. Bundesliga clash.
In the second round, VfB Stuttgart secured a narrow victory against Union Berlin, with Deniz Undav scoring the decisive goal in the 45th minute. After a thrilling qualification against 1. FC Köln, FCK has realistic chances of advancing to the quarterfinals. Both teams currently have 18 points in the 2. Bundesliga. In their previous encounter, FCK won 3:1. The next round of the DFB-Pokal will take place on December 5th and 6th. ( swr Sport Michi Glang 5 November 2023)
Bundesliga Result:
HDH Heidenheim VfB Stuttgart 2:0
