In Berlin, the mayor is announcing a “night of repression” on New Year’s Eve if necessary. In fact, incidents are happening again – not just in Berlin.
The New Year has already begun in many countries – and in Germany too, millions celebrated largely peacefully and exuberantly. But there were serious incidents on New Year’s Eve. In Koblenz, an 18-year-old died when a firecracker exploded. In Berlin in particular, the police had to go on numerous operations; the emergency services were particularly tense about the turn of the year.
Berlin’s governing mayor Kai Wegner announced on Sunday evening that he would take tough action against riots. “Today is the night, if it is necessary, the night of repression where the rule of law will try to assert itself,” said the CDU politician while visiting a police station in Berlin-Neukölln. On New Year’s Eve a year ago there were riots and attacks on police and rescue workers across the country, with Berlin particularly affected.
Firecrackers, Molotov cocktails, arrests in Berlin
As early as around 1 a.m., the Berlin police reported more than 200 arrests, often involving dangerous firecrackers. “Various attacks with pyrotechnics, blank shots and bottles on emergency and rescue workers” were reported, it said.
On Sunday evening there was an incident near Alexanderplatz in Berlin-Mitte with hundreds of people involved. According to the police, firecrackers were thrown from a group of around 500 people. The police said on the online platform X (formerly Twitter) that the group was dispersed at the Neptune Fountain and checked for fireworks. “Our emergency services were bombarded with pyrotechnics from a group of around 200 people who were at the town hall passages,” it continued.
In Neukölln, fireworks were fired at cars around midnight, including police and rescue vehicles, the police said. In addition, people on Hermannstrasse in Neukölln shot rockets at police officers.
More suspects in custody after Cologne terror alarm
After a terrorist alarm, the New Year was celebrated at Cologne Cathedral under high security measures. For the time being, everything went largely smoothly. “A few firecrackers thrown, a few people taken into custody, nothing unusual,” said a police spokesman at around 1:30 a.m. Things were largely peaceful on the cathedral plate and the station forecourt. There was great concern about an incident. An attack was supposed to have been carried out with a car, said Cologne police chief Johannes Hermanns. It turned out that the Tajik, who was taken into custody on Christmas Eve, was part of a larger network that also extends to other federal states and other European countries.
Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki then celebrated the well-attended New Year’s Eve mass in the evening under heavy police protection. According to police reports, things initially remained quiet around the cathedral in the evening. “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.
Serious accidents involving private fireworks
Despite all the warnings, serious accidents involving fireworks occurred again. In one case in Koblenz it even ended fatally: an 18-year-old died on Sunday evening when he set off a firecracker, the police said. The young man died as a result of the explosion despite resuscitation. The investigation into the circumstances was ongoing. The police initially did not want to provide any further information about the incident in the Rübenach district. The police once again called for caution when handling fireworks.
The Berlin police said a 40-year-old lost a hand when setting off a signal rocket in the Kaulsdorf district. Immediately after ignition, the rocket exploded in his hand. During a search, additional pyrotechnics were found on him and confiscated.
Police arrive in Leipzig with water cannons to extinguish the fire
In the left-wing, alternative Leipzig district of Connewitz, objects were thrown at a police station, a police spokesman said on Monday morning. No people were injured. Around 3,000 people gathered at an intersection around midnight and reportedly lit four fires using pyrotechnics, garbage and construction site barriers. The police arrived with water cannons to extinguish the fire. The police spokesman spoke of a “typical New Year’s Eve night”.
After the Corona break, fireworks again in Berlin
In front of the Brandenburg Gate in the capital, tens of thousands celebrated the new year at the traditional New Year’s Eve party. For the first time since the corona pandemic there were fireworks. Around 45,000 visitors came to the ZDF New Year’s Eve party despite intermittent rain and high security precautions. According to the organizers, the festival mile between the Brandenburg Gate and the Victory Column was designed for 65,000 people. ZDF broadcast the party live again as a show called “Welcome 2024”. Ayliva, Luca Hänni and Roy Bianco & The Abbrunzati Boys provided the atmosphere.
Tens of thousands on the streets in Hamburg and Frankfurt
In Hamburg, too, tens of thousands started the new year 2024 with big fireworks and parties. People crowded together to watch the New Year’s Eve fireworks at the landing stages. Around 8,000 visitors came there alone, a police spokesman said shortly after midnight. There were 10,000 to 15,000 people at the Reeperbahn, but more were still coming. There were also celebrations in downtown Frankfurt – initially peaceful, according to the police. Of course, firecrackers and rockets were fired into crowds again, a police spokesman said early on Monday morning. The officials took consistent action against this.
The world is gradually welcoming the New Year
In many parts of the world, 2024 began hours before midnight in Germany. In Sydney, a mega light show lit up the sky against the world-famous backdrop of the Harbor Bridge and Opera House at 2 p.m. CET. By the German evening it was already 2024 in Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, China, India and Dubai.
An hour after Germany, people in London welcomed the New Year – and there was a special anniversary there. The British capital rang in the year with the chimes of Big Ben and a spectacular fireworks display at the London Eye Ferris wheel. 100 years ago, the BBC first broadcast the ringing of the clock tower bells of the Parliament live at the turn of the year. Until then, the typical sound was only audible to people in the surrounding area of the London Borough of Westminster.
Whole globe only on January 1st. at 1 p.m. in the New Year
In total, it takes 26 hours for the entire globe to enter the New Year. American Samoa, located just 220 kilometers east of Samoa on the other side of the International Date Line, will be the last country – twelve hours after Germany. At 1:00 p.m. CET on January 1st, only two uninhabited islands will follow.