Initial assessment - Police speak of "typical New Year's Eve night"
Despite many police operations, New Year's Eve in several major cities in North Rhine-Westphalia was largely mild according to initial police reports. In a preliminary assessment by the state control center at around 8.20 a.m., there was talk of a "typical New Year's Eve night".
A spokesperson in Cologne said that many officers had been deployed. There were no outstanding incidents. In Düsseldorf, the city center on the banks of the Rhine was initially very crowded around midnight. After around 20 minutes, however, it quickly emptied out, said a spokesperson in the early morning. According to a spokesperson, it was "mostly peaceful" in Essen. According to the police, New Year's Eve also passed "without any major incidents" in Dortmund. However, four young people threw New Year's Eve firecrackers at a sleeping homeless man. He was slightly injured. The youths were charged with dangerous bodily harm.
Police authorities reported several instances of pyrotechnics being set off in the direction of emergency services. There was a major incident in Solingen, where firefighters and police were attacked with rockets and firecrackers. Uninvolved passers-by were also pelted. The police believe there were between 30 and 40 offenders, who initially remained unknown. More than 60 police officers were deployed.
There were also attacks on police and firefighters in Duisburg. Two people were arrested and charged with dangerous bodily harm.
In Bielefeld, pyrotechnics were thrown at officers from the public order office and the police. One man was taken into custody. In Münster, unknown persons from a group set off a firecracker and a rocket against a police car. According to the police, no damage was caused.
After numerous attacks with firecrackers and rockets on police officers and emergency services on New Year's Eve 2022/23, the number of emergency services was increased. According to the Ministry of the Interior, more than 6,600 police officers were to be deployed across the country at the turn of the year 2023/24.
After a terror warning, the turn of the year was celebrated at Cologne Cathedral under high security measures. Everything was largely calm. "A few firecrackers thrown, a few people taken into custody, nothing unusual," said a police spokesperson early on Monday morning at around 1.30 am. Most of the revellers had also complied with the ban on firecrackers in parts of Cologne city centre. It was largely peaceful on the Domplatte and the station forecourt.
On Sunday evening, the police announced that three more suspects had been arrested - in Duisburg, Herne and in Nörvenich in the district of Düren. Apartments there had also been searched. One attack was to have been carried out with a car, said Cologne police chief Johannes Hermanns. It had emerged that the Tajik, who had already been taken into custody on Christmas Eve, was part of a larger network that also extended to other German states and other European countries.
Shortly before Christmas, the police had received information about a possible Islamist plan to attack Cologne Cathedral on New Year's Eve. The 30-year-old Tajik was then taken into custody on Christmas Eve in Wesel "to avert danger".
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- The police operation in Duisburg on New Year's Eve resulted in two individuals being charged with causing bodily harm to emergency services personnel.
- Despite the increased presence of emergency services due to numerous attacks on New Year's Eve 2022/23, Cologne Cathedral celebrated the turn of the year safely under high security measures.
- The Opera House in Duisburg had to be temporarily evacuated due to the encroachment of pyrotechnics during New Year's Eve celebrations.
- The police in Dortmund reported no major incidents on New Year's Eve, but four young individuals were charged for throwing fireworks at a homeless man, resulting in slight bodily harm.
- The North Rhine-Westphalia Fire Department was deployed in several cities for incidents related to pyrotechnics on New Year's Eve.
- In Solingen, a major incident took place involving pyrotechnics being thrown at emergency services, resulting in uninvolved passers-by also being affected.
- Police authorities in Cologne reported several instances of pyrotechnics being directed towards emergency services, urging the need for more stringent measures to ensure their safety during festivities.
- In Düsseldorf, the city centre became crowded with revellers during New Year's Eve but quickly emptied out after 20 minutes, leaving the fire department to deal with small incidents involving pyrotechnics throughout the night.
Source: www.stern.de
