New Year’s celebrations marred by widespread firework-related violence and fatalities
Germany’s New Year’s Eve festivities were marred by significant violence and tragic accidents involving fireworks, resulting in five deaths, numerous injuries, and hundreds of arrests. Emergency responders also faced numerous attacks.
Berlin’s emergency services reported unprecedented levels of violence against both firefighters and police officers, who were targeted with fireworks and other pyrotechnic devices. Firefighters responded to 1,892 incidents, with at least 13 documented attacks on emergency personnel.
Berlin police apprehended 330 individuals. One officer sustained severe injuries from a suspected illegal firework, requiring surgery, and other officers were assaulted while managing unruly crowds.
Berlin Schöneberg, migrants using bomb like fireworks to destroy shops and attack police
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The violence extended beyond Berlin. In Leipzig, rioters started fires and erected barricades, attacking police with fireworks and bottles. Cologne and Hamburg also saw similar disturbances, with officers injured by firecrackers in Cologne.
Bonn witnessed a disturbing incident where teenagers allegedly fired a rocket at a sleeping homeless person and filmed the event.
Berlin, Germany. Happy New Year celebration!
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Munich experienced a large apartment fire ignited by a misfired firework, spreading from a balcony to other floors. The city also reported several severe injuries, including a 14-year-old boy who lost part of his hand and younger children suffering burns.
Two deaths occurred in Saxony, including a 45-year-old man killed while handling a homemade “Kugelbomben” (ball bomb). The use of illegal and homemade pyrotechnics significantly contributed to the casualties, with hospitals treating numerous patients for burns, facial injuries, and hearing damage.
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser commended emergency services and stressed the importance of swift action against perpetrators. Over 1,500 emergency workers responded to incidents in Berlin alone.
The violence has reignited the debate over private firework use. Environmental and safety organizations, including Deutsche Umwelthilfe, renewed calls for a nationwide ban, calling New Year’s Eve “a night of horror.” However, the German Pyrotechnics Association (BVPK) countered, emphasizing the need to distinguish between legal fireworks and dangerous homemade explosives.
Police union chairman Jochen Kopelke stated that fireworks should not endanger lives, highlighting the excessive casualties and police deployments. Christine Behle, deputy chairwoman of the first responders’ union, condemned the attacks on emergency personnel.