Alert issued for potential assaults at the onset of the European Football Tournament
According to Herrmann, the terror threat is significant. During the 2006 World Cup, plans existed for handling islamist attacks, as the CDU politician mentioned on ZDF's "Morgenmagazin." He went on to say that the risk has only grown since then. However, security forces are well-prepared, he emphasized.
Authorities have been keeping in touch with the home countries of the participating football teams regarding issues with hooligans for months, with the ultimate goal of preventing them from entering the country. A ban on weapons like knives has also been implemented for some fan zones.
"Months of preparation, both organizationally and strategically, have gone into this event," said Andreas Roßkopf of the Police Union (GdP) to the "Rheinische Post." "All our personnel are being utilized," he added, also mentioning that special forces are involved.
"Our security forces are well-prepared, even for the European Championship," said Thomae of the "Augsburger Allgemeinen." Though no scenario provides complete protection, "security authorities remain vigilant, secure events, and analyze the security situation ahead of time," he added. Attending a public viewing event shouldn't deter anyone.
The Green Party's chairman, Omid Nouripour, described this as an "enormous effort for our security authorities." For the future, better equipment will be needed for them to handle situations like this, he noted in an interview with Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland.
The European Championship starts on Friday in Munich with the match Germany vs. Scotland, with a total of 51 games scheduled up to the final in Berlin on July 14. The Federal Police is aided by 580 foreign police officers who patrol alongside their German colleagues and focus on de-escalation. A portion of these foreign police officers are stationed at the International Police Cooperation Center in Neuss, where information is shared and compiled.
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- Despite the significant terror threat, Joachim Herrmann assures that security forces are well-prepared for the European Football Championship, drawing on experiences from the 2006 Soccer World Cup.
- Bavaria, hosting the opening match of the European Football Championship between Germany and Scotland, has deployed special forces and foreign police officers to aid in security measures.
- Stephan Thomae, from the "Augsburger Allgemeinen," acknowledges the risks but emphasizes that security authorities remain vigilant to ensure the safety of attendees, even during public viewing events.
- The attempts to prevent hooliganism during the tournament extend to coordination with the home countries of participating teams and implementing bans on weapons in certain fan zones.
- The German politician Herrmann mentioned on ZDF's "Morgenmagazin" that the potential danger of terrorism has grown since the 2006 World Cup and that authorities are actively working to mitigate these risks.
- The CDU and CSU, along with the FDP, have all emphasized the importance of security during the tournament, with the latter party issuing warnings about the potential for terrorism and calling for adequate resources to counter these threats.
- The European Football Championship serves as a prelude to the Soccer World Cup in 2026, with security agencies and politicians alike recognizing the necessity of addressing terrorism and hooliganism to ensure a safe and enjoyable event.
