New Year's Eve - Association of towns and municipalities against a general ban on fireworks
The German Association of Towns and Municipalities is against a general ban on firecrackers on New Year's Eve. "We shouldn't always just work with bans, but with conviction," said Gerd Landsberg, Managing Director, on ARD and ZDF's "Morgenmagazin" on Friday. "We have over 10,000 cities and municipalities, nothing really happens there. They put on a few fireworks and the local authorities say we're putting on a light show."
In addition to environmental associations, the police union GdP is also in favor of a ban on New Year's Eve fireworks. This has been discussed for years. There were riots last New Year's Eve, particularly in Berlin. In several districts, men went on the rampage with firecrackers and rockets. They also threw and shot firecrackers at police officers and firefighters.
Landsberg pointed out that a ban could not be enforced in case of doubt. "If you have a large gathering of people in Berlin on New Year's Eve and someone pulls out a firecracker even though it's forbidden, what happens? Do you think they'll be impressed by a ban?" There are many bans in Germany that cannot be enforced, said Landsberg.
Cities and municipalities could already issue a ban on firecrackers where there are gatherings of people. "Many large cities do this too, not all, but many." This must also be enforced.
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The Municipal Association of Germany opposes a nationwide firecracker ban during New Year's Eve, as stated by its Managing Director, Gerd Landsberg. Despite the GdP police union's support for such a ban, cities and municipalities, including Berlin, have experienced disturbances related to firecrackers on New Year's Eve. Landsberg argues that enforcing a ban in such situations could be challenging. Nevertheless, municipalities possess the authority to ban firecrackers in areas with large gatherings, though enforcement is crucial. Local municipalities, including many large cities, have exercised this power in the past.
Source: www.stern.de
