2 Sudanese beaten up by German hooligans

December 23, 2007 (BERLIN) — A group of suspected soccer hooligans racially abused and beat up two Sudanese men and a German who tried to intervene on their behalf, police and prosecutors in the eastern city of Dresden said Sunday.

According to police, several men among the group of 10 to 15 suspected hooligans began taunting the Sudanese men at a nightclub in downtown Dresden, prompting club security guards to intervene.

The pair, both 21, then decided to leave and were followed by the group, a police statement said. A man who tried to break up the fight was also lightly injured, it said.

Germany’s former communist east has seen a recent spike in racist attacks. Some politicians, economists and others have suggested a link between the violence and frustrations over unemployment that has risen as high as 20 percent and a lack of prospects for young people.

(AP)