Under the impression of the deadly attack in a regional express in Schleswig-Holstein, the state parliament discussed measures against New Year’s Eve riots and violence against emergency services. Across parliamentary groups, MPs condemned such incidents in the strongest possible terms on Thursday. There were differences in the question of what really helps against it. A 16-year-old girl and a 19-year-old man were killed in the attack on Wednesday. Seven other people were injured.
“The crimes committed must be determined very consistently and, if possible, punished quickly so that the usually very young perpetrators have at least the chance of learning,” said FDP parliamentary group leader Christopher Vogt. The state should not tolerate quasi-legal vacuums.
Interior Minister Sabine Sütterlin-Waack (CDU) said that no violence against emergency services was known during the attack on the train on Wednesday. In general, however, this should be better protected. The social trend can only be reversed with good prevention work. The causes must be discussed openly. “I believe that neither drastic penalties nor firecracker bans will help.”
FDP parliamentary group leader Vogt argued similarly in relation to a ban on firecrackers in response to the New Year’s Eve riots in Berlin. “You can say whatever you want about a ban on the sale of fireworks, but it would certainly not be the solution to this rather complex problem if we just think about the stones, bottles and other objects with which the emergency services there were attacked .” For years, respect in parts of society has been noticeably decreasing. Suitable prevention concepts would have to be developed in the north.
Green faction leader Lasse Petersdotter condemned all attacks on emergency services in the strongest possible terms. “Violence on New Year’s Eve is not a new phenomenon.” He referred to alarm guns that are too readily available and that are misused, especially on New Year’s Eve. “And yes, there are also good reasons for a firecracker ban.” After all, it’s not the best combination to handle it on New Year’s Eve, a day when high alcohol consumption is socially accepted.
The SPD domestic politician Niclas Dürbrook criticized, “unfortunately it’s like this: riots in Neukölln serve as evidence of integration problems, escalating soccer games or regular riots on May 1st, on the other hand, are discussed in a completely different way”. Two thirds of all young people in the Berlin district have a migration background. “From the statistics alone it is obvious that this also applies to two-thirds of criminals. This number alone is therefore not suitable for causing a scandal, even if some have tried to do so for political reasons.” It is also not suitable as a reason for the riots. New Year’s Eve riots are not an inherent problem in districts with a high proportion of immigrants.
