Overflight bans, sealed manhole covers and a large police force: Around 4,800 officers are on duty for the Munich Security Conference from Friday to Sunday. 40 heads of state and government and almost 100 80 ministers are expected to attend the world’s most important meeting of experts on security policy at the luxury hotel Bayerischer Hof. Among them are US Vice President Kamala Harris, French President Emmanuel Macron and Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD).
Explosive dogs searched the conference venue on Friday before the start. According to the Munich police, 1,200 manhole covers and electrical boxes were sealed. Around 700 barriers will be set up, as well as around 1,000 no-parking signs. The ban on stopping applies, for example, along the routes taken by the participants to the conference venue and at the demonstration routes. A no-fly zone applies to almost the entire city area, including for drones.
Patrol on service horses
4,500 of the police officers come from Bavaria and other federal states, 300 from the federal police. For the first time, they patrol the airport fence on service horses when guests arrive and depart. Almost 42 kilometers of fence around the airport had to be secured, and horses were faster off-road, said a spokesman for the federal police.
In December, climate activists stuck themselves to the runways in Berlin and Munich, temporarily paralyzing air traffic. According to the Munich police, such action plans are not known. But one is prepared, it said.
On Friday, Munich Airport was still affected by the Verdi warning strike. No airliners flew. However, the special machines of the conference participants would be handled, said a spokesman for the airport.
Around 20 demonstrations are planned because of the security conference, the two largest almost simultaneously on Saturday afternoon. The “Munich Stands Up” alliance, which took to the streets against corona measures during the pandemic, registered 4,000 participants, and the “Action Alliance against the NATO Security Conference” around 2,300 people. People also want to take to the streets against the Ukraine war.
