Internal security - Authority: No concrete danger at Christmas markets
Following the recent arrests for allegedly planning terrorist attacks on Christmas markets, the Hamburg Interior Ministry believes that the threat level remains high. "However, the security authorities in Hamburg currently have no knowledge or information that could indicate a specific threat to Christmas markets," explained authority spokesman Daniel Schaefer.
The police are keeping an eye on the increased number of visitors in the city center and are monitoring a large number of Christmas markets, shopping centers and shopping streets. However, their presence is not always visible at first glance. Schaefer did not want to comment on the individual measures.
Following the truck attack on Berlin's Breitscheidplatz in December 2016, which claimed the lives of twelve people, Hamburg's Christmas markets were secured with concrete blocks. Retractable bollards have since been installed in some places.
A few days ago, two young people aged 15 and 16 were arrested in North Rhine-Westphalia and Brandenburg. According to the public prosecutor's office in Düsseldorf, they are said to have agreed to kill visitors to a Christmas market in Leverkusen by exploding a small truck at the beginning of December.
On Friday, the arrest of a 20-year-old in Helmstedt (Lower Saxony) became known. According to information from security circles, the Iraqi, who had only been in Germany since last year, had been thinking about attacking visitors to a Christmas market - possibly in Hanover - with a knife.
Hamburg Christmas markets
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- Despite the heightened vigilance at Hamburg's Christmas markets due to past incidents, the city's Internal Security authority has declared no concrete danger currently.
- Individuals working from home during their leisure time might find the presence of police at nearby Christmas markets in Hamburg reassuring, enhancing a sense of internal security.
- The potential endangerment of visitors at Christmas markets, as seen in previous attacks, underscores the need for the police to maintain a visible or discreet presence, ensuring the protection of public spaces.
- In the context of heightened security in Hamburg during the holiday season, concerns about internal security and potential threats at Christmas markets must not hinder people from enjoying their leisure time activities.
Source: www.stern.de
