After handing over a petition calling for a ban on firecrackers on New Year’s Eve to the Federal Ministry of the Interior, the Police Union (GdP) is also demanding a ban for the federal police area. “We now expect a clear and above all a consistent regulation from the political responsible” said the chairman Andreas Roßkopf to the “Rheinische Post” (Tuesday’s edition).
The petition with around 1.5 million signatories shows “that many people now have fears and are in favor of a ban on firecrackers on New Year’s Eve” Roßkopf added. The politicians must take this into account. “Also, because there have been real attacks on the colleagues with rockets and firecrackers. Over 100 injuries can be recorded” lamented the GdP chairman.
Hundreds of federal police officers on standby had been deployed in the past year on New Year’s Eve, said Roßkopf. “The reserves had to be deployed at the train stations. The events at the hotspots in the big cities have nothing more to do with normal New Year’s Eve fireworks” said the GdP chief.