Five fatalities and numerous arrests following New Year's disturbances in Germany
Germany's New Year’s Eve festivities were marred by violence and tragic events linked to fireworks, leading to five deaths. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
Fireworks-related incidents marred Germany's New Year’s Eve celebrations, leading to violence that resulted in five deaths, numerous injuries, and hundreds of arrests. The chaos included assaults on police officers and firefighters.
In Berlin, emergency services encountered extraordinary violence, as emergency workers faced attacks from fireworks and other pyrotechnic devices during the festivities. Firefighters addressed 1,892 incidents, with at least 13 recorded assaults on emergency personnel.
Berlin police apprehended 330 individuals, with one officer sustaining severe injuries from what authorities believe to be an illegal firework. This officer required surgery, while others experienced assaults while navigating unruly crowds.
The violence extended beyond Berlin. In Leipzig, rioters started fires and erected barricades, with around 50 individuals hurling fireworks and bottles at the police. Similar disturbances unfolded in Cologne, where two officers were hurt by firecrackers, and Hamburg reported comparable unrest.
In Bonn, an alarming event occurred when teenagers allegedly launched a rocket at a sleeping homeless man while recording the incident on their phones.
Munich reported a significant apartment fire resulting from a misfired firework, which ignited a balcony and spread to other floors. The city also recorded serious injuries, including a 14-year-old boy who lost parts of his hand and two younger children who suffered burns.
Among the fatalities, two people in Saxony included a 45-year-old man who died while handling a homemade 'Kugelbomben', as reported locally. The prevalence of illegal and homemade pyrotechnics was noted as a major factor contributing to the casualties, with hospitals nationwide treating burn injuries, facial trauma, and hearing loss.
Interior Minister Nancy Faeser commended emergency services for their response and emphasized the importance of taking swift action against violent offenders, noting that over 1,500 emergency personnel were deployed in Berlin to tackle the night’s challenges.
This turmoil has reignited discussions about personal firework use in Germany. Environmental and public safety organizations, such as Deutsche Umwelthilfe, reiterated their calls for a nationwide ban, characterizing New Year’s Eve as “a night of horror for countless people.” Conversely, the German Pyrotechnics Association argued for a distinction between regulated fireworks and hazardous homemade explosives.
Jochen Kopelke, the police union chairman, remarked that fireworks should not pose a danger to lives, stating, “Too many dead, too many injured, too many police deployed.” Christine Behle, deputy chairwoman of the first responders’ union, condemned the violence, asserting that attacks on emergency personnel should never be normalized as a workplace hazard.
Frederick R Cook for TROIB News
In Berlin, emergency services encountered extraordinary violence, as emergency workers faced attacks from fireworks and other pyrotechnic devices during the festivities. Firefighters addressed 1,892 incidents, with at least 13 recorded assaults on emergency personnel.
Berlin police apprehended 330 individuals, with one officer sustaining severe injuries from what authorities believe to be an illegal firework. This officer required surgery, while others experienced assaults while navigating unruly crowds.
The violence extended beyond Berlin. In Leipzig, rioters started fires and erected barricades, with around 50 individuals hurling fireworks and bottles at the police. Similar disturbances unfolded in Cologne, where two officers were hurt by firecrackers, and Hamburg reported comparable unrest.
In Bonn, an alarming event occurred when teenagers allegedly launched a rocket at a sleeping homeless man while recording the incident on their phones.
Munich reported a significant apartment fire resulting from a misfired firework, which ignited a balcony and spread to other floors. The city also recorded serious injuries, including a 14-year-old boy who lost parts of his hand and two younger children who suffered burns.
Among the fatalities, two people in Saxony included a 45-year-old man who died while handling a homemade 'Kugelbomben', as reported locally. The prevalence of illegal and homemade pyrotechnics was noted as a major factor contributing to the casualties, with hospitals nationwide treating burn injuries, facial trauma, and hearing loss.
Interior Minister Nancy Faeser commended emergency services for their response and emphasized the importance of taking swift action against violent offenders, noting that over 1,500 emergency personnel were deployed in Berlin to tackle the night’s challenges.
This turmoil has reignited discussions about personal firework use in Germany. Environmental and public safety organizations, such as Deutsche Umwelthilfe, reiterated their calls for a nationwide ban, characterizing New Year’s Eve as “a night of horror for countless people.” Conversely, the German Pyrotechnics Association argued for a distinction between regulated fireworks and hazardous homemade explosives.
Jochen Kopelke, the police union chairman, remarked that fireworks should not pose a danger to lives, stating, “Too many dead, too many injured, too many police deployed.” Christine Behle, deputy chairwoman of the first responders’ union, condemned the violence, asserting that attacks on emergency personnel should never be normalized as a workplace hazard.
Frederick R Cook for TROIB News
