Berlin prepares for another rowdy New Year's Eve

In Germany, Christmas is all about contemplation and family. New Year's Eve, however, is all about partying.

In Berlin, up to 65,000 people are expected on the "party mile" at the Brandenburg Gate alone, where a large stage has been under construction for days. The annual "Celebrate at the Gate" show will feature a food truck festival, and numerous musicians are performing. The show will be broadcast live on TV, and of course, the whole thing will be crowned with a big firework display at midnight.

It all sounds like exuberant merriment, but no one can be sure of how much fun it will be in view of the increased risk of terrorist attacks. Security measures are elaborate, and access to the cordoned-off area will only be possible with a prepaid ticket. Bags and backpacks won't be allowed, and fireworks, food, drinks and flyers are also outlawed. And political sloganeering has been banned at party, especially amid Israel's ongoing war with Hamas.

The Berlin police have said there is an increased risk of violence on New Year's Eve due to the conflict in the Middle East. Berlin Police Chief Barbara Slowik has spoken of an "immense need to protect Jewish and Israeli people," following numerous pro-Palestinian demonstrations in major German cities in the last few weeks.

Slowik has also described the heightened emotions "due to the conflict in the Middle East," saying that, with a view to New Year's Eve, "we are certainly assuming that these emotions will also be acted out on the streets."

Emergency personnel seeing increased violence

The Berlin police, fire departments and medical services are all on alert. Throughout the year, emergency and rescue services have been targeted by attacks. In a nationwide survey conducted by the German Fire Service Association, around half of the firefighters surveyed said they had been insulted, abused, threatened, or had experienced direct violence while on duty in the past two years.

Last New Year's Eve, rescue and emergency services were attacked with firecrackers and rockets in several cities in Germany. In Berlin, rescue workers were even lured into ambushes, said Slowik. And nobody expects things to be any less aggressive this year. Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser has also expressed concern that "blind rage and senseless violence" could once again break out in some cities on New Year's Eve.

Police unions have called for tougher action against attackers. "Ever since last year's violent excesses in Berlin, but also in numerous places in the Ruhr region and even in Bonn, which is actually a peaceful city, everyone knows that something has gone wrong in our society," said Jochen Kopelke, head of the GdP police union, in an interview with the Rheinische Post newspaper. "We must finally react."

For months, police officers in Berlin have been more visible in what they've deemed as problematic neighborhoods. Meetings have been organized in schools and youth clubs, where police and firefighters have reached out to youth to promote understanding for their work. Authorities have even sent out letters to parents through the schools to ask them for their help.

"Please talk to your children in advance, and tell them that we also want to be treated with respect and tolerance and start the new year unharmed," the letter reads.

Police preparing a show of force

Berlin police have prepared for their largest New Year's Eve operation in decades. An additional 2,500 police officers from Berlin and other states are on the streets, and 500 federal police officers have also been stationed at suburban and long-distance train stations.

Another 1,000 police officers are set to be on duty in police stations and patrol cars. In some cases, the fire department will be accompanied by police protection, and rioters are to be arrested immediately.

The public prosecutor's office has also added extra shifts, and Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner has announced they are planning decisive action. "Anyone who attacks the police and fire department must expect a forceful response from the state," he said.

As a precautionary measure, private fireworks have been banned in three Berlin districts where last year people repeatedly engaged in street battles with pyrotechnics.

Millions expected to go up in smoke

If it had been up to environmentalists and the police union, Berlin would have imposed a citywide ban on fireworks and firecrackers. Instead, after the bans in the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021, sellers of pyrotechnics broke new records last year, with around €180 million ($199 million) worth of fireworks set off to mark the end of 2022. Germany's Association of the Pyrotechnic Industry expects the demand for fireworks to be just as high this year.

In addition to the legal rockets and firecrackers that have been on sale since December 28, there are plenty of illegal explosives in circulation, especially in Berlin. The border with Poland isn't far away, and unauthorized fireworks with a much higher explosive force are freely available there.

Instead of the standard black explosive powder, these fireworks use a stronger and faster-reacting substance that can result in uncontrollable explosions. Some of the projectiles contain small hard parts which, like bullets, can cause extremely serious injuries, possibly leading to amputations and death.

Hospitals in Berlin are already preparing for a busy night.

This article was originally written in German.

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