Fueled by the Middle East crisis
Concern about New Year’s Eve riots: Interior Minister Faeser calls for a “peaceful turn of the year”.
“We now have a generally increasing willingness to use violence on days like New Year’s Eve,” says Interior Minister Nancy Faeser
© Bernd von Jutrczenka / DPA
Last New Year’s Eve had a bitter aftertaste in Germany. Emergency services were massively attacked in several cities. Now the Interior Minister is again warning of riots in the wake of the Middle East crisis.
“I know that the federal states and their police forces are now preparing for this differently than last time: with new risk assessments, with more police,” said the Federal Interior Minister. “I am particularly grateful to the emergency services who are there to ensure our safety.”
Riots in several cities on New Year’s Eve 2022
“We now have a generally increasing willingness to use violence on days like New Year’s Eve,” Faeser continued. “And of course we have to keep a very close eye on the danger that this will also mix with the radicalization that we are now seeing in view of the Middle East conflict.”
Faeser appealed to everyone to “celebrate a peaceful new year and avoid violence – especially in these difficult times.” Last New Year’s Eve, emergency and rescue workers were massively attacked in Berlin and other cities. In Berlin, 145 people were arrested that night.