Football
Associated Press 18y

Scattered arrests don't dampen World Cup street parties

LEIPZIG, Germany (AP)- Police worries over potential racial violence and a demonstration by Germany's largest far-right party never materialized Wednesday in this eastern city where Iran and Angola played their final World Cup match.

No arrests were reported in the hours after the 1-1 draw and there were no rallies by dissidents opposed to the Iranian government or members of the National Democratic Party.

"Everything has gone like we hoped," said Leipzig police spokesman Wolfgang Kiessling.

Saxony, the state where Leipzig is located, has a large number of soccer hooligans who follow lower division German teams. It's also a region where hate crimes against minorities generated headlines leading up to the World Cup.

That produced fears Angolan or Iranian fans could become targets.

The biggest scare of the day came when a passer-by found a postal package two streets away from Leipzig's stadium. After 23 people in nearby residents were evacuated, experts blasted it open with high-pressure water hoses to discover it was filled with sunshades and sunhats.

The elimination of Iran was a relief to World Cup security organizers - along with the United States, England and Saidu Arabia, Iran has been receiving extra protection. Saudi Arabia also failed to advance.

"If we think about which teams we regarded as being a sensitive case, then you can say there is some relief that they won't advance," interior ministry spokesman Christian Sachs said. "But it doesn't change our basic situation. We think our concept of providing every team with good security has been a success."

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