After a terrorist alarm
New detentions and further protection for Cologne Cathedral
Before the pontifical mass in Cologne Cathedral at the end of the year with Cardinal Woelki, the area surrounding the cathedral is heavily guarded by police forces with submachine guns. photo
© Thomas Banneyer/dpa
New Year’s Eve is over – and the fears of an attack scenario at Cologne Cathedral did not come true. Shortly before the turn of the year, the police took three more suspects into custody.
Significantly tightened security precautions have been in place around the cathedral in Cologne since Christmas. The indications of a possible attack scenario had been received shortly before. According to the Cologne police, they were referring to New Year’s Eve and the turn of the year. On Christmas Eve, emergency services initially took a 30-year-old Tajik man into custody in Wesel “to avert danger.”
On New Year’s Eve, the police announced that three more suspects had been arrested – in Duisburg, Herne and Nörvenich in the Düren district. An attack was supposed to have been carried out with a car, said Cologne police chief Johannes Hermanns. According to initial information, nothing was found during the searches that “indicated an immediate” attack. According to operations manager Frank Wißbaum, the underground car park under the cathedral was also searched in the hours before the New Year – but nothing was found.
Trade fair under massive police protection
The three suspects were taken into custody. It turned out that the 30-year-old Tajik was part of a larger network that also extended to other federal states and other European countries, according to the police. She spoke of a “tangle of people from Central Asia.” There was initially no further information about the suspects. While the 30-year-old was taken into so-called long-term custody until January 7th, it was initially unclear whether this measure was also intended for the three other people.
New Year’s Eve at Cologne Cathedral remained without any major incidents. Cologne Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki celebrated a mass at the end of the year with believers under heavy police protection. The worship participants first had to go through a security gate in tents that were set up in front of the main portal. Large bags or laptops were not allowed into the cathedral.
“I would like to thank our security forces, who began protecting this cathedral in the days before Christmas and also protecting us so that we can celebrate church services and the fundamental right to freely practice religion continues to be guaranteed in our country,” said Woelki Start of the fair.