The escalating unrest surrounding annual New Year’s Eve fireworks displays is prompting a fierce debate within Germany, with law enforcement officials openly criticizing the government’s current approach. Benjamin Jendro, spokesperson for the Police Union (GdP) Berlin, has issued a direct challenge to policymakers, demanding a fundamental reassessment of regulations surrounding the sale and use of fireworks.
Jendro’s call for change, delivered to the news portal T-Online, specifically mentions a nationwide ban or, at minimum, “drastic restrictions” on firework sales as essential for the upcoming year. His remarks stem from the severe strain placed on Berlin’s police force during the recent New Year’s Eve celebrations. Nearly 4,300 officers were deployed, resulting in approximately 30 injuries. Alarmingly, Jendro detailed incidents where officers were “deliberately lured into ambushes to be attacked” highlighting a growing pattern of targeted aggression.
The repercussions extend beyond the physical injuries to police personnel. Jendro emphasized a palpable decline in public safety, stating that “many people in Berlin are now afraid to go out on the street”. He suggested that current policy is failing to adequately address a deep-seated problem and that the matter warrants public consideration rather than being solely dictated by political figures.
Jendro’s criticism has been particularly directed at Berlin’s governing mayor, Kai Wegner, of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), who has recently adopted a cautious stance on a potential firework ban. Jendro asserted that Wegner’s personal opinion should not override the collective desire for safer conditions, underscoring the democratically important element of public input in crucial safety decisions.
While initial reports suggest that deployment levels and overall incident numbers during the New Year’s Eve period were comparable to those of the previous year, Jendro dismissed this as a source of comfort. He attributed the absence of even greater chaos solely to the efforts of police officers and underscored the unsustainable burden placed on them.
Prior to the New Year’s Eve celebrations, Berlin police confiscated hundreds of thousands of pieces of illegal pyrotechnics and a further 800 investigations were initiated in the aftermath, resulting in 430 arrests, predominantly for temporary detention. The escalating situation raises serious questions about the efficacy of existing regulations and the political will to implement preventative measures that prioritize public safety and protect law enforcement personnel. The debate now centers on whether a stringent national ban or significant curtailment of firework sales is a necessary, albeit potentially unpopular, step to restore public confidence and ensure safer celebrations in the future.
