2023-12-31 20:34:41
– Berlin fears a state of emergency – major police operation
The police and fire brigade in Berlin are preparing for New Year’s Eve. The Gaza war has exacerbated the situation.
Published: December 31, 2023, 9:34 p.m
Berlin fears the New Year’s Eve state of emergency: firecracker ban zone in Sonnenallee in Neukölln.
Photo: Clemens Bilan (EPA/Keystone)
Germany goes into New Year’s Eve tensely. Berlin’s governing mayor Kai Wegner announced on Sunday evening that he would take tough action once morest riots. “Today is the night, if it is necessary, the night of repression where the rule of law will try to assert itself,” said the CDU politician while visiting a police station in Berlin-Neukölln.
On New Year’s Eve a year ago there were riots and attacks on police and rescue workers across the country, with Berlin particularly affected.
Hours before midnight there was an incident near Alexanderplatz in Berlin-Mitte with hundreds of people involved. According to the police, firecrackers were thrown from a group of around 500 people.
The police dispersed the group at the Neptune Fountain and checked for fireworks, the police said on the online platform X.
“Our emergency services were shot at with pyrotechnics from a group of around 200 people who were at the town hall passages,” it continued. In total, there had been around 20 arrests in the city until around 9 p.m., said a police spokeswoman.
Large police presence
The police and fire brigade in Berlin are preparing with a large contingent. According to Police Chief Barbara Slowik, this is one of the largest operations in the capital in recent decades.
There had already been incidents involving private fireworks. The Berlin police said that a 40-year-old lost a hand when setting off a signal rocket in the Kaulsdorf district. Immediately following ignition, the rocket exploded in his hand. During a search, additional pyrotechnics were found on him and confiscated.
Before New Year’s Eve, which was already always restless in Berlin, the situation had become even worse due to the Gaza war following the terrorist attack on Israel by the Islamist Hamas. There have been repeated demonstrations in the past few weeks and months.
Hot spots and no-fire zones
Out of fear of crime, the Berlin police banned a pro-Palestinian demonstration in Neukölln that had been registered for New Year’s Eve. According to the police, two parallel planned counter-rallies in support of Israel were then canceled by the organizers. Another pro-Palestinian demonstration moved from Neukölln to Kreuzberg on New Year’s Eve followingnoon with a heavy police presence.
The police defined several hotspot areas, including northern Neukölln. There were also zones where firecrackers were banned, for example at Alexanderplatz. Private fireworks are also prohibited at the Brandenburg Gate.
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