Worry over Potential Terror Attacks at Street Celebration - Hamburg streets festivity called off following Solingen assault event
Due to concerns about potential replica assaults after the fatal slicing in Solingen, the arranged street celebration in Hamburg's Grindel district has been scrapped. As Jimmy Blum, head of the Grindel Association, shared with the "Hamburger Abendblatt", despite security steps and law enforcement backing, we can't assure safety. "Similar to Solingen, we aimed to honor diversity – which unfortunately raises the likelihood of copycat incidents," he mentioned.
His group was appointed by the Eimsbüttel district council to coordinate, in collaboration with the Jewish community and cultural organizations, a festival celebrating Jewish tradition this year. The Grindelfest was scheduled under the banner "Culture. Jewish. Colorful" from September 13-15.
Before the Holocaust, Grindel district was the epicenter of Jewish living in Hamburg. The Bornplatz Synagogue, the most prominent Jewish place of worship in Northern Germany at its opening in 1906, was demolished under Nazi rule and is under plans to be rebuilt on the same site.
Blum confessed that the cancellation might send the wrong message yet stressed, "In the end, as organizers, we bear responsibility if something unfolds."
The presumed Islamist terror attack in Solingen last Friday claimed three lives and wounded eight at a city event. A 26-year-old Syrian man, now in custody, is the chief suspect. The federal prosecutor's office is investigating him for homicide and affiliation with the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group.
The decision to cancel the celebration in Grindel was made due to concerns about potential replica assaults, as mentioned by Jimmy Blum, and the local police were involved in the security discussions due to the heightened risks.
Despite the cancellation, Blum and his group acknowledged their responsibility for ensuring safety and emphasized that their primary concern was avoiding any potential tragic incidents.
