(de-news.net) – The New Year’s Eve attacks on police and emergency personnel with fireworks and bottles have incited demands for more stringent measures against the offenders. The SPD faction advocated for legal enhancements to safeguard emergency workers, with SPD deputy Dirk Wiese asserting that robust police operations had demonstrated significant efficacy this year. He underscored the necessity of legally fortifying the protection of those who assist others in distress.
Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) emphasized that the deployment of substantial police forces and early, decisive intervention were effective strategies against violent offenders and disorder. She noted that the numerous arrests in Berlin and ongoing attacks on emergency personnel underscored the necessity of such stringent measures. Faeser reiterated that offenders must be pursued and penalized with full severity.
Union parties for legal enhancements
The Union urged judicial authorities to take action, with CDU politician Alexander Throm condemning the annual riots as intolerable and calling for rigorous enforcement of the law against assaults on police and rescue workers. Throm also proposed that such acts by foreigners should entail residency repercussions, supporting stricter deportation laws.
Andrea Lindholz, deputy chairwoman of the Union faction in the Bundestag, demanded prompt and severe consequences for New Year’s Eve riots, acknowledging that while many celebrated peacefully, there were also fatalities, injuries, and disturbances. She emphasized the importance of fully leveraging legal enhancements to address these issues.
Calls for swift prosecution by the German Police Union
The German Police Union (GdP) was the first to publicly warn of increased life-threatening risky behavior post-New Year’s Eve. GdP Chairman Jochen Kopelke noted five firework explosion deaths were a grim start to the year. Injuries and social media videos indicated regular fireworks were insufficient for some, leading to dangerous homemade explosives.
Kopelke called for swift consequences for police attackers in Leipzig, Munich, Cologne, and Hamburg, criticizing growing disrespect towards police, especially from young men in disadvantaged areas. He noted police tactics’ success in enabling safe celebrations but emphasized the need for more personnel and resources, urging the incoming government to invest in internal security.
Fatalities in several localities
The Federal Association for Pyrotechnics attributed New Year’s Eve injuries and fatalities to homemade and illegal fireworks, resulting in five deaths and numerous injuries nationwide. The German Environmental Aid (DUH) described the situation as “catastrophic,” calling for a ban on pyrotechnics sales. The association advocated for safe fireworks use and blamed accidents on illegal devices, noting certified fireworks’ safety. DUH also cited increased particulate matter pollution, advocating a permanent pyrotechnics ban, which the Interior Ministry deemed disproportionate given existing regulations.
Significant incidents included fatalities: a 24-year-old in North Rhine-Westphalia, a 20-year-old in Hamburg, two in Saxony, and one in Brandenburg, with another critically injured. Firefighters dealt with fires in buildings, vehicles, and waste containers.
NABU and other organizations have long called for a private fireworks ban due to environmental and wildlife concerns. The German Society for Orthopedics and Hand Surgery highlighted New Year’s Eve hand injury risks from safety rule violations.
Berlin police make 330 arrests
Amid celebrations, emergency personnel faced attacks in various cities. Police and fire services encountered assaults with fireworks and bottles in Munich, Leipzig, Cologne, Hamburg, and Berlin, injuring several officers. Despite this, Berlin police reported a positive outcome due to increased presence and prohibition zones, making 330 arrests for explosives or weapons violations and reporting officer injuries.
Interior Senator Iris Spranger (SPD) reported 15 officer injuries in Berlin, one requiring surgery after being hit by an illegal firework, calling for thorough investigations and prosecutions. Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner (CDU) praised police and fire services for facilitating peaceful celebrations and preventing worse incidents, emphasizing the need to maintain pressure on offenders.
In Hamburg, police increased presence in areas like Steindamm and Schreyerring due to large groups throwing fireworks at officers, successfully calming the situations. A 20-year-old man died in Ochsenwerder from a pyrotechnics explosion, with details unclear. In Geseke, North Rhine-Westphalia, a 24-year-old died from a fireworks explosion while party guests set off fireworks in a field, with no other injuries reported. However, North Rhine-Westphalia saw no major incidents with over 7,300 officers deployed. Firework prohibition zones were partly observed in Cologne and Düsseldorf, while Essen, Duisburg, and Dortmund imposed no bans.
Red Cross in favor of a shift in public opinion
Gerda Hasselfeldt, president of the German Red Cross, called for a shift in public consciousness regarding the responsible work of emergency personnel and the ramifications of violence. She advocated for heightened recognition of the life-saving and crucial societal contributions of emergency workers.
The German Environmental Aid (DUH) had called for an immediate private fireworks ban in Germany weeks before New Year’s Eve, urging states to pressure Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser at the Interior Ministers’ Conference. DUH argued that New Year’s celebrations consistently involve injuries, fires, frightened animals, and fatalities from pyrotechnics, advocating a comprehensive sale and use ban to mitigate these dangers.
Days before New Year’s Eve, customs authorities warned against unauthorized fireworks purchases. The Kiel Customs Office stated unauthorized fireworks are extremely dangerous, causing severe injuries even when used cautiously, with legal repercussions including criminal proceedings and confiscation. The import of non-compliant fireworks without the CE mark is prohibited under explosives law. Customs advised purchasing only compliant fireworks with the CE mark, noting certain F2 category and all F3 and F4 category fireworks require special permits in Germany.
