Extremism - Minister of the Interior considers Brandenburg Christmas markets safe
Brandenburg's Interior Minister Michael Stübgen (CDU) considers the Christmas markets in the state to be sufficiently secure. "Our Christmas markets are very safe," Stübgen told the German Press Agency on Saturday. Even after the attack on the Berlin Christmas market, "the security precautions have been significantly increased. They are still in place today, but no one really notices anymore." However, an attack can never be completely ruled out. "If we stop going to Christmas markets out of fear of these terrorists, then they've already won - we shouldn't do that."
Last Tuesday, a 16-year-old was arrested in the town of Wittstock/Dosse in the district of Ostprignitz-Ruppin for allegedly planning a terrorist attack on a Christmas market via the internet together with a teenager from North Rhine-Westphalia. Both were remanded in custody. According to the Düsseldorf public prosecutor's office, they are said to have planned their attack based on the aims and methods of the Islamic State (IS).
According to information from security circles, the terror suspect from Wittstock was known as a criminal. He was already known for offenses such as robbery, extortion and in connection with drugs, according to the German Press Agency. Later, the Brandenburg Office for the Protection of the Constitution is said to have been on his trail. He then informed the North Rhine-Westphalia Office for the Protection of the Constitution as well as the State Office for the Protection of the Constitution and the Federal Office.
The Neuruppin district court issued an arrest warrant against him on Wednesday on the urgent suspicion of having planned and prepared a terrorist attack on the internet with a young person in North Rhine-Westphalia. The Leverkusen district court had issued an arrest warrant for the other youth for planning and preparing an Islamist terrorist attack. According to the public prosecutor's office in Düsseldorf, they are said to have agreed to kill visitors to a Christmas market in Leverkusen.
Both were remanded in custody. The terror suspect from Wittstock is currently in the Brandenburg/Havel University Hospital. The "Märkische Allgemeine" had previously reported on this.
The organizers of the Christmas markets in Potsdam and Cottbus had announced increased security measures. According to the company Coex, entrances will be blocked with security cars and more stewards will be deployed.
On December 19, 2016, an Islamist terrorist drove a truck into the Christmas market at the Memorial Church in Berlin. 13 people died as a result of the attack and more than 100 were injured.
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- The terror suspect from Wittstock, known for past criminal activities such as robbery and extortion, was remanded in custody at the Brandenburg/Havel University Hospital.
- Michael Stübgen, the Interior Minister of Brandenburg, assured that the state's Christmas markets have solid security measures in place, despite the past attack in Berlin.
- The Local court in Neuruppin issued an arrest warrant against the Wittstock suspect for planning a terrorist attack on the internet with a North Rhine-Westphalia teenager.
- The CDU politician Stübgen urged people not to let fear of terrorists prevent them from attending Christmas markets, stating that doing so would mean the terrorists have already won.
- In the town of Wittstock/Dosse, North Rhine-Westphalia, a 16-year-old was arrested for allegedly planning a terrorist attack on a Christmas market in collaboration with another teenager.
- The Leverkusen district court had previously issued an arrest warrant for the other teenager, according to the Düsseldorf public prosecutor's office, for planning an Islamist terrorist attack at a local Christmas market.
- Brandenburg's security circles had been monitoring the Wittstock suspect, who had a history of criminal offenses, before his arrest last Tuesday.
- In response to the planned terrorist attack, the organizers of Christmas markets in Potsdam and Cottbus announced increased security measures, including securing entrances with security cars and deploying more stewards.
Source: www.stern.de
