New Year's Eve is already a busy time for firefighters, police and rescue workers. But this year, the emergency services are also being targeted during their work.
What happened?
In Berlin and Hamburg in particular, emergency services and vehicles from the fire brigade and police were specifically attacked on New Year's Eve. More than 50 firefighters, emergency services and police forces were injured in the capital alone. In Hamburg, the fire brigade spoke of a "terrifying New Year's Eve balance". During New Year's Eve, emergency services were "aggressively approached, literally shot at" with fireworks. Police stations across the country - such as in Düsseldorf - also reported "heavily intoxicated people, rioters, disputes and bodily harm". It was "the most intense New Year's Eve in recent years," said the Middle Franconian police. There were also targeted attacks in Essen and Bonn.
What does "targeted attack" mean?
The Berlin fire brigade spokesman Thomas Kirstein reported that 14 fire engines of the fire brigade were literally lured into ambushes. Emergency calls were mostly received because of burning cars or garbage cans, when the fire brigade arrived to extinguish the fire, the emergency services were shot at with rockets and other fireworks. According to a report by the Berlin fire brigade, iron bars and slats were also used in some of the attacks. More than 50 percent of all attacked firefighters were attacked in Neukölln. But also in the Lichtenrade district, dozens of strangers lured the rescuers into an ambush, colleagues rushing to help were attacked with tear gas, and a firefighter was bitten on the hand. In Berlin, someone threw a heavy fire extinguisher into the windscreen of an ambulance that was just taking a patient to the hospital. Similar attacks were reported from Hamburg. In St. Pauli, a 22-year-old aimed a rocket battery at a patrol car, several officers and patrol cars were thrown at various places in the city with firecrackers and bottles. Firefighters, emergency doctors and paramedics were also attacked. As in Berlin, the fire brigade in Hamburg had to withdraw and wait for the police to put out fires.
Who were the attackers?
Eyewitnesses tell of groups of young men. Age ranges between about 15 and 35 years are mentioned. Some were masked. From Berlin it is said that it is assumed that many of them have an Arab migration background.
What are the legal consequences of these attacks?
The Berlin police arrested 98 men and 5 women and initiated investigations into arson offenses, violations of the explosives law, breach of the peace and physical assault on law enforcement officers. A police spokesman for the Bild newspaper confirms that all 103 of those arrested have since been released after their identities have been recorded. In 2017, the Bundestag tightened the penalties for assaults on rescue workers – to up to five years in prison.
Is there also a political debate?
Above all, extended firecracker bans in cities are now being discussed. The Hamburg Interior Authority announced a detailed situation analysis to clarify whether there was an increased risk of fireworks in certain locations. Berlin's governing mayor Franziska Giffey called for a nationwide debate about the consequences of the attacks. Interior Senator Iris Spranger will address the issue in the conference of interior ministers. "Brutally attacking police officers, paramedics and firefighters must be punished with the full force of the law," demanded Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser. Deputy government spokeswoman Christiane Hoffmann said: "The rule of law must not allow people who celebrate peacefully in our cities and emergency services who are on duty to be exposed to such attacks." The President of the German Fire Brigade Association, Karl-Heinz Banse, called for preventive measures to prevent attempts to plunder fire-fighting vehicles and firecrackers thrown at emergency services in the future. He said: "It must be checked whether deterrence through technology such as dashcams or bodycams is possible."
Are attacks on rescue workers and police officers a new phenomenon?
For years, police officers, emergency doctors and firefighters, but also bus drivers, employees of job centers and other government agencies have been reporting increasing verbal abuse and physical attacks. In 2022, a survey by the civil servants' association dbb showed that almost every fourth respondent in the public sector had already become a victim in this way. Those affected most frequently report insults and threats, but there are also physical injuries and even attempted killings. There is also a high number of unreported cases, because according to the survey, seven out of ten attacks are not reported on average.
