Danger of terrorism at Christmas markets: Evacuation in Göppingen

Emergencies - Danger of terrorism at Christmas markets: Evacuation in Göppingen

After three arrests for planned terrorist attacks, the Christmas market in Göppingen was evacuated on Saturday evening due to a threat situation. The market has since reopened to visitors. According to a police spokesperson, a man had made a threat on the phone on Saturday evening.

The Christmas market in Baden-Württemberg was then quickly closed. It is currently unclear who the man who made the threat is. The spokesperson did not provide any information on the content of the threat for tactical investigative reasons.

Earlier, the chairman of the police union (GdP), Jochen Kopelke, had pointed out the strain on the police in protecting the Christmas markets. He told the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND) newspaper that the police are under great pressure in terms of personnel: "The presence is enforced by changes to duty rosters, vacation suspensions and overtime." These extra shifts could not be maintained in the long term.

GdP boss in favor of more video surveillance

Kopelke advised more video surveillance at Christmas markets. "Video surveillance at Christmas markets is a helpful tool that should be used intensively with the best technology," he told Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND). So far, this has only been the case in isolated cases because preventative video surveillance is often not possible due to data protection.

The head of the German Police Union (DPolG), Rainer Wendt, also sees the police under a great deal of pressure. "On the one hand, police officers are working to protect Jewish facilities as a result of the Gaza war. And secondly, the federal police in the federal states cannot provide support at Christmas markets because they are tied up at the border," he told RND. Those who are or could become potential threats are also intercepted there.

Arrests due to suspected attack plans

Most recently, two young people aged 15 and 16 were arrested in North Rhine-Westphalia and Brandenburg for allegedly planning an attack on a Christmas market. In addition, a 20-year-old was taken into custody in Helmstedt in Lower Saxony. According to the State Office of Criminal Investigation, the police had received information that the suspect was planning a serious act of violence.

The two young people are in custody. Their alleged plans are reminiscent of the attack on the Christmas market at the Memorial Church in Berlin on December 19, 2016, in which 13 people died, one of them years later as a result.

Showmen see safety guaranteed

However, Frank Hakelberg, Managing Director of the German Showmen's Association, assured the Rheinische Post newspaper (Saturday): "The 3,200 Christmas markets in Germany are safe. People should be wary, but not worried."

Office for the Protection of the Constitution sees increased terror threat

Even before the latest arrests became known, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution had warned that against the backdrop of the Middle East conflict, the risk of possible terrorist attacks against Jewish and Israeli individuals and institutions as well as against "the West" had increased significantly. However, the greatest danger does not come from supporters of Hamas or the pro-Iranian Hezbollah, but from terrorist groups such as al-Qaeda or the so-called Islamic State (IS).

Calls from the CDU/CSU for IP addresses to be stored

Andrea Lindholz (CSU), Vice-Chairwoman of the CDU/CSU in the Bundestag, called for the precautionary storage of IP addresses. The Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Justice should "immediately present an action plan against Islamist terrorism, as has long existed in the area of right-wing extremism", the interior expert told the "Rheinische Post". "This includes, in particular, the obligation to store IP addresses for several months for the purpose of combating terrorism." The European Court of Justice had already declared this permissible for the purpose of combating terrorism over a year ago.

"It must not be the case that - as is currently the case - it practically depends on chance whether investigators can assign an IP address to a terrorist or not," warned Lindholz. The threat of Islamist terrorism in Germany had never gone away. "However, the German government's one-sided focus on right-wing extremism has caused it to be lost sight of to some extent. It is now becoming clear that this was a mistake."

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1. The evacuation of the Christmas market in Göppingen was a response to a threat situation, which was reported through a phone call.
2. Given the strain on the police, Jochen Kopelke, the chairman of the police union, advocated for increased video surveillance at Christmas markets.
3. Kopelke argued that video surveillance, combined with the best technology, could provide additional protection amidst the tense threat situation.
4. Rainer Wendt, the head of the German Police Union (DPolG), also acknowledged the pressure on the police, as they were also responsible for protecting Jewish facilities and intercepting potential threats at the border.
5. Most recently, three individuals were arrested in North Rhine-Westphalia, Brandenburg, and Lower Saxony for allegedly planning attacks on Christmas markets.
6. The two young individuals arrested in North Rhine-Westphalia and Brandenburg are suspected of having plans reminiscent of the attack on the Christmas market at the Memorial Church in Berlin in 2016, which resulted in 13 fatalities.
7. Frank Hakelberg, the Managing Director of the German Showmen's Association, assured the Rheinische Post newspaper that 3,200 Christmas markets in Germany are generally safe, despite the ongoing threats.
8. Andrea Lindholz, CDU/CSU Vice-Chairwoman in the Bundestag, advocated for the precautionary storage of IP addresses to enhance the German government's efforts in combating Islamist terrorism.
9. The Office for the Protection of the Constitution cautioned that the risk of possible terrorist attacks against various targets, including Jewish individuals, had increased significantly in the context of Middle East conflict, although the most significant threat comes from al-Qaeda and IS.

Source: www.stern.de