New Year's Eve - Berlin police draw attention to no-fire zones
A good week before New Year's Eve, the Berlin police have drawn attention to the firecracker ban zones. "The banned areas are located at Alexanderplatz, in the Steinmetzkiez area in Schöneberg and on part of Sonnenallee and adjacent side streets," the police announced on Friday. The ban applies from 6 pm on New Year's Eve until 6 am on New Year's Day. The Steinmetzkiez includes Pallasstraße, where firecrackers were thrown for days at the turn of the year last year, including at people. Groups sometimes shot at each other.
In addition, the use of pyrotechnics within the event area of the New Year's Eve celebrations at the Brandenburg Gate was prohibited by the organizers.
There were serious riots on New Year's Eve 2022/23 in Neukölln around Sonnenallee, in the High-Deck-Siedlung and in Gropiusstadt. Firecrackers were also thrown at the police in Schöneberg, Gesundbrunnen and Spandau, as well as in other major German cities. In recent years, there have been three firecracker ban zones in the capital: as there are now at Alexanderplatz and in Schöneberg near Pallasstraße - as well as in some streets in Alt-Moabit.
According to the plans of the Senate Interior Administration, more than 2,800 police officers will be on the streets at the upcoming turn of the year in addition to the usual patrol car crews.
Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser (SPD) expressed concern on Thursday "that New Year's Eve could once again be a day on which we have to experience blind rage and senseless violence in some cities, for example against police officers or rescue workers".
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- Despite the firecracker ban zones at Alexanderplatz and Schöneberg, criminality still occurred during New Year's Eve last year, with firecrackers being thrown at people and even at the police.
- The turn of the year in Berlin is a time of increased vigilance for the police, as they will have over 2,800 officers on the streets in addition to patrol car crews, to mitigate criminality and ensure a safe celebration.
- On New Year's Eve 2022/23, there were serious riots in Neukölln, High-Deck-Siedlung, and Gropiusstadt, with firecrackers being thrown at the police in various German cities, including Schöneberg, Gesundbrunnen, and Spandau.
- While enjoying the beautiful mountain views of Berlin during the turn of the year, one should also be mindful of the increased criminality and adhere to the no-fire zone regulations to ensure a safe and enjoyable New Year's Eve.
Source: www.stern.de
