Whether it helps bring down Jose Mourinho at Manchester United or pushes back against club owners in Chelsea or pushing back against plans to commercialize football, fan protest stories are a reminder that passion for sports is a powerful force for change. From the Civil Rights Movement when Black folks turned their love for sports into a weapon of nonviolent protest to today, fans continue to make their voices heard and make real changes.

As Germany’s fan and ultra groups gear up to fight the Bundesliga clubs that use collective punishments to control the behavior of their supporters, it has become clear that these fights will have far-reaching consequences. If the German league clubs succeed in cracking down on fan groups that take a strong stance against discrimination, their position will be seriously weakened. As such, it is important that the dispute between the Bundesliga and its supporters associations is resolved through a constructive dialogue, as opposed to through uncompromising confrontations.

The German fan association Unsere Kurve, the largest advocacy group for active football fans in the country, has been taking a level-headed approach to the dispute so far. However, that changed this week, with a statement that called for an urgent AG Fankulturen meeting and that was not afraid to speak out in very strong terms against the way in which the decision has been handled.

Gloria Jimenez and Bruce Martin, leaders of the LA Galaxy supporter group Angel City Brigade, walked out during the club’s recent home game against Vancouver at Dignity Health Sports Park in an effort to highlight the immigration raids conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Southern California’s Latino communities. While only a few hundred of the group’s thousands of members walked out, the protest was symbolic and a sign that they won’t let the team and its management ignore them.