New Year's Eve 23/24 - Attacks on emergency services and 230 arrests in Berlin, one dead in Koblenz
People all over Germany welcomed in the New Year with lots of fireworks. In Berlin, tens of thousands celebrated at the big New Year's Eve party at the Brandenburg Gate, where fireworks were set off for the first time in several years. After last year's riots, the celebrations in the capital took place under tighter security measures. Although there were no major riots, the police again reported attacks on officers and rescue workers.
Berlin: 230 arrests, 15 police officers injured
In Berlin , the police were deployed in large numbers. The fire department had also increased the number of emergency services after the riots at the turn of the year last year. According to the police, more than 230 arrests had been made in Berlin by around 2 am. In addition, 15 officers were injured, the police announced via the online service X, formerly Twitter. At numerous locations throughout the city, emergency and rescue services were attacked with pyrotechnics, alarm guns and bottles. According to the police, the situation calmed down again at around 3 am.
At the Neptune Fountain not far from Alexanderplatz, 500 people threw pyrotechnics at each other before midnight. When police officers intervened, they were reportedly shot at with fireworks by a group of 200 people. According to the Berlin police, several people were arrested.
Police car shot at with a bullet bomb
In Gropiusstadt in the Neukölln district, police reported that a parked police car was shot at with a bullet bomb and damaged so badly that it had to be taken out of action. Nine arrests were also made in Neukölln after people tried to make Molotov cocktails out of glass bottles, scraps of cloth and petrol.
Seit 0 Uhr schon 500 Einsätze bei der @Berliner_Fw , darunter viele Kleinbrände.
So wie hier am #Schöneberger_Ufer in #Tiergarten, wo die #Freiwillige_Feuerwehr aus Prenzlauer Berg aktuell einen Pkw löscht. pic.twitter.com/PTv9V6gqxX
— Berliner Feuerwehr (@Berliner_Fw) January 1, 2024
Numerous people with firecracker injuries were treated at the Unfallkrankenhaus Berlin (UKB). In the meantime, 22 patients with serious eye injuries, burns and blast injuries to the hands and face have been treated, the hospital announced shortly after 4 a.m. on the online platform X. The UKB spoke of "dramatic amputation injuries" in some cases.
Relatively quiet turn of the year
In other German cities, the turn of the year was relatively calm compared to last year. In Stuttgart, the police gave a positive initial assessment of their operations around Schlossplatz. By 4 a.m., the officers had reportedly recorded around 30 charges, most of which were violations of the Explosives Act. According to the police, there were no "serious incidents".
The police made similar statements in cities such as Mainz and Bochum. According to the police in Koblenz, one officer was hit by pyrotechnics but remained unharmed. However, there was a tragic accident in the Rübenach district of Koblenz: an 18-year-old was fatally injured when a firecracker was set off and died despite attempts at resuscitation.
In Cologne, security measures around the cathedral were stepped up once again for New Year's Eve. According to the head of the Cologne police traffic directorate, Frank Wißbaum, around 1000 police officers were deployed to secure the area and protect the public. The Cologne police had previously announced that they had taken three more terror suspects into custody in connection with possible plans to attack the cathedral.
Normal New Year's Eve in Hamburg
On Hamburg's Reeperbahn , the police estimated the number of revelers at up to 45,000, many of whom crowded into the Grosse Freiheit area after midnight. The police temporarily closed off access to the side street of the Reeperbahn.
According to police reports from the morning, 10,000 people watched the New Year's Eve fireworksat the Landungsbrücken overlooking the harbor. Around the Inner Alster, where fireworks were not permitted, officers counted 5,000 revelers.
Read also:
- Floods: water levels remain critical in many places
- Snow chaos further restricts Bavaria
- Continuous operation in the flood areas
- Flood situation remains tense in many places
Barbara Slowik, a prominent German political commentator, expressed her concerns about the rising criminality on New Year's Eve, citing the attacks on emergency services and the 230 arrests in Berlin. Kai Wegner, another political figure, called for stricter measures to prevent such incidents in the future. The situation was particularly severe at Alexanderplatz, where police cars were attacked and fireworks were used against emergency services. Firefighters from Prenzlauer Berg were called to put out a burning police car in Gropiusstadt, Neukölln. The Unfallkrankenhaus Berlin treated numerous firecracker injuries, including some with dramatic amputation injuries.
Despite the incidents in Berlin, other cities in Germany had a relatively quiet turn of the year. In Stuttgart, the police reported around 30 charges, mostly violations of the Explosives Act. However, in Koblenz, an 18-year-old died after being hit by a firecracker, marking a tragic end to the celebrations. In Cologne, around 1000 police officers were deployed to secure the area around the cathedral, with three terror suspects previously taken into custody.
In Hamburg, up to 45,000 people celebrated on the Reeperbahn, while 10,000 watched the New Year's Eve fireworks at the Landungsbrücken. Iris Spranger, a police spokesperson, said that the situation in Hamburg was under control. Despite the challenges, many Germans continued to celebrate New Year's Eve with fireworks, marking the turn of the year and the start of a new beginning.
Source: www.stern.de
