After riots: alcohol ban in parks in Berlin-Mitte

Created: 07/21/2022, 20:20

The blue light on a police vehicle is on.

© Monika Skolimowska/zb/dpa/Symbolbild

Littered meadows, broken glass on the paths, noise.

In the summer months, nightly celebrations leave their mark in some parks.

Sometimes the police have to intervene.

A ban on alcohol should help.

Berlin – After riots at parties in parks in Berlin-Mitte, there will be a ban on alcohol in the future.

From this Friday (July 22) between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., no alcohol may be carried in James-Simon-Park and Monbijoupark, the Mitte district office announced on Thursday.

This ban applies until September 11th.

The district justified its decision with “party excesses”, which had happened again in the past few weeks.

The police cleared James Simon Park last weekend when around 250 people celebrated there.

The police had described the atmosphere as heated and loud.

Individual groups would have repeatedly ignited pyrotechnics.

The police also had to intervene in Volkspark Friedrichshain and Mauerpark in Prenzlauer Berg.

On the previous weekends, there had also been police operations due to similar incidents.

From the district's perspective, alcohol consumption is a "main catalyst" for such misconduct.

The district mayor of Mitte, Stephan von Dassel (Greens), announced an alcohol ban last weekend.

The district sees the recreational function and ecological value of the parks severely restricted by the fact that groups meet there to "drink excessively".

"The vegetation is particularly damaged by wild urination, the park is heavily littered in the morning, broken glass makes it dangerous to use the lawns, and there is massive noise pollution at night," says the district.

He bases his alcohol ban on the Berlin Parks Law.

The Mitte district also intervened last year and imposed restrictions on James Simon Park.

At that time, thousands of people kept going to the parks for parties due to closures due to the corona pandemic.

There were sometimes violent clashes between revelers and police officers.

The police union (GdP) had called for "individual concepts for parks and green spaces" in view of the development.

The respective districts are responsible for the parks.

The Senate administration does not want to change that either.

Nevertheless, a substantive line is sought.

It is about developing an infrastructure together with the districts, said Secretary of State Thorsten Akmann on Thursday in the RBB.

According to his idea, a “model park regulation” should be drawn up that each district could implement.

dpa