No Beer for Racists

Under the motto 'No Beer for Racists,' countless diligent volunteers have distributed one million beer coasters to pubs, bars, and restaurants across the entire Dortmund city area.

Wherever football is most intensely experienced outside of the stadium, and wherever passionate discussions often take place, Borussia Dortmund and the BVB Fan and Support Department represent a clear stance with this joint action. Guests at Dortmund's venues are served their drinks with a clear message: 'No Beer for Racists – Football. Beer. Cosmopolitanism.'

Dortmund's pub and beer culture is world-renowned – it’s no coincidence that the home of BVB is also called the 'Beer Capital.' Moreover, it's likely that Borussia Dortmund e.V. carries the name of a then very famous Dortmund brewery. Unfortunately, Dortmund is also associated with racist attacks and an active right-wing scene.

Borussia, Pils – and Nazis? They don’t mix! This is where the initiative by Borussia Dortmund and the BVB Fan and Support Department comes in.

Besides the symbolism of the beer coaster, BVB and the BVB Fan and Support Department also provide substantive arguments against the racist slogans that are all too often heard in public. A website offers solid facts against dull assertions: A QR code on the back of the coaster allows patrons to access a list of compelling arguments against racist insinuations on the spot with their smartphones.

Former BVB President Dr. Reinhard Rauball says: 'Borussia Dortmund, the BVB Fan and Support Department, and all BVB fans bear responsibility not to ignore xenophobic and inhuman slogans, but to take a clear stand against them. Through this joint action, which opposes right-wing ideology not just visibly but substantively, the BVB family once again highlights its clear stance: for tolerance and a colorful BVB, against racism and xenophobia.'

'Unfortunately, the issue of racism in Dortmund is more relevant than ever. We want to set a sign that the inhumane worldview of these people does not fit Dortmund,' says Tobias Westerfellhaus, board member of the Fan Department.

How much this issue concerns the fans is evident in that the fan club BVB International e.V. also came up with the idea of providing restaurateurs with beer coasters carrying an anti-discriminatory message. At this point, Borussia Dortmund and the BVB Fan and Support Department would like to explicitly praise the commitment of the fan club to actively fight against racism in its region.