New Year's Eve riot in Berlin: Spahn blames migration policy - demand for harsh penalties
Created: 01/03/2023 12:21 p.m
By: Felix Durach
CDU politician Spahn sees a connection between the New Year's Eve riot in Berlin and failed integration.
More and more politicians are demanding consequences.
Berlin — The riots on New Year's Eve in Berlin continued to cause a stir in German federal politics on Tuesday (January 3).
During the night there were several attacks, some massive, on police officers and rescue workers.
In Berlin alone, 33 emergency services were injured.
In the days that followed, various videos of riots, attacks and vandalism circulated on Twitter.
New Year's Eve riot in Berlin: Spahn sees a connection between New Year's Eve riot and failed integration
For former Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU), however, the political debate is about the wrong topic.
"The attacks on emergency services are unspeakable," said the 42-year-old to
t-online
.
In the opinion of the CDU politician, however, little would be achieved with a ban on fire brigades.
"You can't fight riots in some parts of the city or in certain places with a nationwide ban on firecrackers." Spahn pointed out that such escalations would always take place in the same places with the same participants.
Firefighters extinguish a coach on Sonnenallee in Berlin that had been set on fire by unknown persons on New Year's Eve.
© Paul Zinken/dpa
"It's more about unregulated migration, failed integration and a lack of respect for the state instead of fireworks," the CDU politician sums up.
Spahn received approval for his position from the federal head of the German Police Society (DPolG), Rainer Wendt.
The 66-year-old told
focus.de
: "Many emergency services have the impression that groups of young men with a migration background are far overrepresented in these riots." Wendt also called for these circumstances to be analyzed precisely and described as such.
Otherwise, right-wing populist forces would be allowed to use the events for political purposes.
Berlin migration expert on New Year's Eve: "Young people who reject our rule of law"
The psychologist and author Ahmad Mansour spoke to
Bild.de
with regard to New Year's Eve of "young people who reject our rule of law and perceive it as weak".
Mansour, who deals primarily with the issues of radicalization and anti-Semitism in the Islamic community, also criticized the behavior of German politicians.
Too many politicians “do not hold foreign perpetrators responsible, but see everyone as victims per se”.
"Anyone who attacks the police commits an attack on the rule of law and gambles away their right of residence," the 46-year-old concludes.
Criticism also from the federal states: Bavaria's Interior Minister Hermann calls for tougher penalties
More and more critical voices are also coming from the federal states with a view to the rioters on New Year's Eve in Berlin.
Bavaria's Interior Minister Joachim Hermann (CSU) also saw the debate about a ban on firecrackers as out of place.
"A general ban on fireworks would not eliminate the causes, namely the brutalization of a few," said the 66-year-old to the
editorial network Germany
.
"These New Year's messes must be severely punished.
A noticeable reminder and, if necessary, imprisonment are appropriate," the CSU politician continued.
Hermann's counterpart from North Rhine-Westphalia, Herbert Reul (CDU), came to a similar conclusion.
"In the case of the rioters, we were obviously predominantly dealing with young men in groups, often with a migration background," the North Rhine-Westphalia Interior Minister told
Bild
.
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New Year's Eve riot in Berlin: Giffey calls for a "nationwide debate about the consequences"
Several voices from the SPD had already commented on the incidents on Monday.
Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser wrote on Twitter that the extent of the violence made her "stunned and angry".
"It shows a brutalization that requires consistent action," the SPD politician continued.
Berlin's governing mayor, Franziska Giffey, called for a "nationwide debate on the consequences." Giffey also announced that she would invite the Berlin police chief to the upcoming Senate session.
According to the SPD politician, an overall evaluation of the events on New Year's Eve can be expected in the coming days.
(fd)
