- Title: Security tightened for New Year celebrations in Berlin, Cologne
- Date: 31st December 2016
- Summary: BERLIN, GERMANY (DECEMBER 31, 2016) (REUTERS) BERLIN'S LANDMARK, THE BRANDENBURG GATE, WITH FERRIS WHEEL AND TENTS SEEN IN DISTANCE AS PREPARATIONS ARE UNDERWAY TO HOST EUROPE'S LARGEST PARTY TO CELEBRATE THE NEW YEAR PAN ACROSS CONCRETE BARRIERS, BRANDENBURG GATE IN BACK POLICEMEN STANDING BY PEOPLE PASSING CONCRETE BARRIERS MACHINE GUN IN POLICEMAN'S HANDS CROWD OF PEOPLE WAITING IN LINE AROUND 2 P.M. (1300 GMT) TO BE CHECKED BEFORE BEING ALLOWED ACCESS TO PARTY GROUNDS SECURITY GUARD FRISKING MAN POLICEMAN SEATED INSIDE PARKED POLICE VAN LINE OF PEOPLE, PARLIAMENT BUILDING IN BACKGROUND (SOUNDBITE) (English) VISITOR FROM JAPAN, KORYO SUZUKI, SAYING: "I'm so sad about the terrorism. But I think that the Germans will secure (the site) even more because of terrorism. I think the safety level has increased, I think. No more terrorism will happen, I think." CONCRETE BARRIERS BLOCKING ACCESS TO CARS AND TRUCKS CONCRETE BARRIERS BLOCKING ACCESS TO PARTY GROUNDS AT OTHER END OF BRANDENBURG GATE FERRIS WHEEL POLICEMAN WITH MACHINE GUN WALKING PAST PEOPLE WALKING ALONG CLOSED OFF ROAD, BRANDENBURG GATE IN BACK POLICEMEN LOOKING ON FLOWERS AND CANDLES NEAR SITE OF LAST WEEK'S TRUCK ATTACK, MEMORIAL CHURCH IN BACKGROUND VARIOUS OF PEOPLE PASSING CONCRETE BARRIERS SET UP AFTER ATTACK TO PREVENT A REPEAT OF LAST WEEK'S ATTACK PEOPLE STROLLING PAST STANDS OF REOPENED CHRISTMAS MARKET WHERE ATTACK OCCURRED PEOPLE LOOKING AT SITE WHERE STANDS RUN OVER BY TRUCK ONCE STOOD, CANDLES AND FLOWERS ON GROUND CANDLES AND FLOWERS PEOPLE LOOKING AT CANDLES PEOPLE WALKING PAST ON CHRISTMAS MARKET COLOGNE, GERMANY (DECEMBER 31, 2016) (REUTERS) PAN DOWN COLOGNE CATHEDRAL TO SQUARE WHERE HUNDREDS OF WOMEN WERE SEXUALLY ASSAULTED AND ROBBED BY GANGS OF DRUNKEN MEN DURING LAST YEAR'S NEW YEAR CELEBRATIONS SECURITY GUARDS STANDING BY FIVE VIDEO CAMERAS INSTALLED ON POLE TOP SHOT OF SAME SQUARE, TRAIN STATION ENTRANCE ON RIGHT PARKED POLICE TRUCK (SOUNDBITE) PASSER-BY, MARCO DAGOSTINO, SAYING: "I believe there is no safe place anywhere. That's why we will be celebrating on a boat tonight. We're fleeing! But I do believe that people have drawn their lesson." (SOUNDBITE) PASSER-BY, RENATE KEIL (pron.: Kyle), SAYING: "I think the authorities have learned something. I have a good feeling." VIDEO CAMERA ON ROOF TOP TRAIN STATION EXTERIOR VARIOUS OF WORKERS SETTING UP CRASH BARRIERS PAN UP COLOGNE CATHEDRAL
- Embargoed: 15th January 2017 16:00
- Keywords: Berlin new year security attack truck Christmas market concrete barrier machine gun
- Location: BERLIN, GERMANY
- City: BERLIN, GERMANY
- Country: Germany
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,International/National Security
- Reuters ID: LVA0015F7OW93
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: German authorities have visibly stepped up security for New Year celebrations taking place later on Saturday (December 31) as concrete barriers were put in place to block access and policemen patrolled equipped with machine guns.
The heightened security measures come after last week's attack in Berlin which killed 12 people and injured 48 others when a 24-year old Tunisian deliberately ploughed a hijacked truck into a crowd of Christmas market visitors.
Berlin police closed the Pariser Platz square in front of the Brandenburg Gate and prepared to deploy 1,700 extra officers, many along a party strip where armoured cars will flank concrete barriers blocking off the area.
"I think the safety level has increased. No more terrorism will happen," said Koryo Suzuki, a young visitor from Japan who had arrived in Germany a day earlier.
In Cologne in western Germany, where hundreds of women were sexually assaulted and robbed outside the central train station on New Year's Eve last year, police have installed new video surveillance cameras to monitor the station square.
"I believe there is no safe place anywhere," said Marco Dagostino, jokingly adding "that's why we will be celebrating on a boat tonight. We're fleeing!"
The attacks in Cologne, where police said the suspects were mainly of North African and Arab appearance, fuelled criticism of Chancellor Angela Merkel's decision to accept nearly 900,000 migrants last year.
The Berlin attack has intensified that criticism. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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