More than 140 teenagers and young adults attacked police officers and rescue workers on New Year's Eve in Berlin. Riots also break out in other cities. Berlin's Prime Minister Giffey then announced a summit against youth violence.
After the riots on New Year's Eve, Berlin's governing mayor Franziska Giffey wants to invite people to a summit against youth violence. She announced this on the RBB Inforadio. A Senate spokeswoman confirmed that the invitations should go out as soon as possible. It was not mentioned when the meeting would take place or who would attend.
Giffey said in the interview the attacks on rescue workers, firefighters - "those who help and protect us" - were unacceptable, to be condemned and to be prosecuted consistently. "But there is no easy answer. A firecracker ban alone will not solve it." She does not believe that a ban at the federal level will be enforceable for all firecrackers.
From their point of view, several components are necessary. "We have this situation in many cities in Germany. On the one hand, we have to take consistent action against criminal offenses, but on the other hand, we also have to see what needs to be done in integration, youth and school social work."
Giffey was asked that there was now a discussion about the family background of the perpetrators and whether this was an integration deficit. Does this great distance, maybe also hostility towards the representatives of the German state have something to do with the origin of the families? Giffey replied that there was massive disrespect, massive destructiveness and sometimes contempt for state officials.
She spoke to the police forces in Neukölln and asked what the reason was and how it came about. "And they reported to me that social media also play a major role. That people are spurring each other on Tiktok." That this one night is the night that for some others is May 1st, where you can let it all out and show that you are the stronger one with the help of stun guns and firecrackers and so on.
