Germany has been bracing for a night of terrors this Halloween, with authorities expecting riots amid tensions surrounding the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
The European Union country has seen an uptick in street violence in relation to Middle-Eastern issues.
Similar violence is now expected for the night of October 31, with Die Welt having reported that police were preparing for unrest.
In Berlin, police announced they would ramp up their presence in “certain areas and locations” as well as “adapt to any hot-spots that may arise” over the night.
While no exact numbers were given by officials, more than 1,000 extra officers from surrounding regions were deployed to the German capital last Halloween to deal with possible rioting.
A remote video surveillance system has been being deployed in Marl, North Rhine-Westphalia, to “prevent riots, violence and weapons on the street”. The city had seen around 100 people participate in Halloween violence in 2023.
Another North Rhine-Westphalian city, Duisburg, said it would operate an adjusted public transport schedule for the night after trams and bus shelters were attacked by Halloween rioters last year.
Authorities have also announced they would deploy more security staff on various routes and consider shutting down public transport entirely on the night should they feel the need to do so.
“You are a criminal! You should be in The Hague. Free Palestine!”
A protester tells European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen she is under “citizen’s arrest” as she is heckled during a speech in Brussels.#Gaza #Israel #EU pic.twitter.com/8oeE8FoYUZ
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) April 18, 2024
Fears surrounding possible violence came after regular rioting erupted in the country during annual holidays.
Chaos surrounding New Year’s Eve 2023 and New Year’s Day 2024 in Berlin sparked particular outcry, with numerous reports of attacks on police and emergency-service workers.
Some 145 people were arrested during the rioting, with 45 of those said to be in possession of German citizenship.
Violence on subsequent days was traced back to anger surrounding Palestine, with considerable outbreaks taking place in Berlin on October 19.
Politicians said they were now hoping that similar incidents on Halloween could be avoided, with members of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) urging revellers to behave appropriately.
“Go out, dress up, be a witch, a mummy or a ghost. Go out with your children, but remember: even pranks have their limits,” said Herbert Reul, the CDU-aligned interior minister for North Rhine-Westphalia.
'Israeli democracy is capable of finding the right path on the Gaza war,' says Euro MP @moritzkoerner.
Click here to watch the full interview 👉🏼 https://t.co/kxonl7nPmy#policy #eu #war #israelwar #gaza #news #interview #podcaster pic.twitter.com/DozuNf9xle
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) April 5, 2024
