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20. 11. 09. - 16:00

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20. 11. 09. - 16:00

Bengal fireworks banned from stadiums

By Thomas Hochwarter

Austrian football fans face huge fines under new laws banning fireworks at stadiums.

Parliament yesterday (Thurs) passed legislation outlawing Bengal fireworks from major sports events and punishing offenders with fines of thousands of Euros.

People’s Party’s (ÖVP) Interior Minister Maria Fekter said the law was an important step in protecting fans. "Two thousand degrees centigrade can backfire," she said, warning people could suffer serious burns for fireworks.

ÖVP security spokesman Günther Kößl said there had been 300 reported incidents with the fireworks at stadiums last month alone - many involving injuries.

Social Democrat (SPÖ) MP Otto Pendl said his party – which forms a coalition with the ÖVP – backed the new law.

"It was about time to laws from 25 years ago were adapted to the world today."

Pendl said critics of the law had no concern for public safety, adding it was important parents can go to matches with their children without fear of injury.

But all three opposition parties represented in the Austrian parliament - the Freedom Party (FPÖ), the Alliance for the Future of Austria (BZÖ) and the Greens - rejected the law.

The BZÖ claimed it would "criminalise young people". The party’s security spokesman Peter Westenthaler said lighting Bengal fireworks should be allowed "in a controlled way and under certain circumstances."

SPÖ and ÖVP said offenders face fines of up to several thousand Euros but did not give precise figures.

The law also includes a paragraph simplifying the passing on of personal data of offenders in order to ban them from stadiums.

Supporter groups of several Bundesliga clubs have criticised the legislation. They told authorities that "football fans are not criminals".

Austrian Times

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