regional customs
Camels and riots: Carnival again without Corona rules
Revelers protect themselves from the rain with umbrellas during the traditional Kö-bustle on Düsseldorf’s Königsallee. photo
© Henning Kaiser/dpa
Many people want to celebrate properly again at the first carnival without corona restrictions – too many. In some places in Germany, the police have to arrive at the weekend and ensure peace.
The crowds were not only huge in the carnival strongholds on the Rhine: Thousands of people wanted to celebrate at the weekend with parades and festivals again without corona restrictions. Outside of Cologne and Düsseldorf, there were also riots and riots. At least one sexual assault in the crowd was reported.
At a carnival party in Menden in Sauerland, for example, the police went out in large numbers on Saturday evening because too many people crowded into the marquee at the same time. According to the police, three people had to be treated for circulatory problems. A woman was sexually assaulted in the queue. The suspect received a eviction.
More crowds than space
The alleged attack happened when about 1,000 people were standing in front of the tent waiting to be admitted. At the time, however, the tent was already fully booked with around 1,000 guests, said a police spokesman.
Similar scenes were also reported from the Upper Palatinate in Bavaria and from Emsland. There, too, the crowds sometimes exceeded the capacities of the events.
At least 13 people were taken into police custody during two carnival parades in the Viersen district in North Rhine-Westphalia. Troublemakers were consistently taken out of circulation at the events in Bracht and Oedt, the police said in the evening. Even before the start, a 37-year-old rioted, insulted emergency services and resisted. According to their own statements, the police issued 30 places. In Bracht, an unknown person threw a bottle at a fire engine and spat at the emergency services. In Leichlingen in the Rhineland, the police responded to fights several times on Saturday.
The parade started promptly at 11:11 a.m
In Düsseldorf and Cologne, the police also had a lot to do on Saturday. But in Düsseldorf’s old town it was no more than on other weekends, said a spokeswoman. “There was a lot to do, but nothing outstanding”. The Cologne police made a similar statement. The rain that started in the evening also led to a “migration” of carnival participants, it said there.
On Sunday, the first big carnival parade in Cologne started punctually at 11.11 a.m. For the first time in four years, the “Schull- and Veedelszöch” moved through the city again – in 2020 they were canceled due to a storm, in the following years due to the corona pandemic.
“It’s the 90th train, a small anniversary,” said Benedikt Conin, spokesman for the Association of Friends & Promoters of Cologne Customs. This year, 41 Cologne schools and 46 carnival clubs from Cologne and the surrounding area took part in the traditional carnival parade. Around 6,400 participants were asked to present their imaginative costumes, which they often made themselves over months.