On New Year's Eve, policemen and rescue personnel have been attacked nationwide, especially in large cities. The attacks in Leipzig were particularly severe, where officials with stones and firecrackers were attacked.

At Connewitzer Cross in south of Saxon city, a crowd of about 1,000 people gared and several objects and trash cans were lit, police Saxony told on New Year morning. To extinguish fires, police were using two water cannons.

Subsequently, a group of 40 to 50 partly hooded people started throwing bottles, stones and firecrackers. The policemen would have warned attackers, however, as y would have resisted, water cannons had been used. Several people were detained for heavy land trespassing, investigations were initiated.

As Leipzig People's newspaper reports, a demonstration of an anti-capitalist initiative for more political engagement in Leipzig had taken place before. This was directed against state repression and police violence. Several hundred policemen had refore been posted in surrounding streets. After midnight, autonomous rubbish bins were set on fire, whereupon police used water cannons. A police spokeswoman stated that stake had been terminated after a quarter of an hour.

In or places re were attacks on rescue workers: occupation of an ambulance of Berlin fire Brigade was threatened by unknown with firearms on New Year's Day. Firefighters alerted police, who ensured two sharp firearms. In morning fire brigade Berlin called number of eight attacks on emergency forces and 57 attacks on emergency vehicles with considerable damage to property – this makes "very thoughtful and affected".

In Bremen, too, a group of about 50 people attacked policemen with rockets and firecrackers. A police officer was injured at station's Square, and a spokesman was involved.

Federal Minister Thomas de Maizière (CDU) sent a message of thanks to many forces of intervention: "Instead of celebrating mselves, y worked so that ors could celebrate."

Sexual assault in "very small measure"

Apart from se events, night was relatively quiet according to previous police information. In Berlin, several hundred thousand people greeted new year at Brandenburg Gate at biggest year's Eve celebration nationwide. According to Berlin police, seven people were detained for sexual harassment. The Berlin fire Brigade had to 380 extinguishing operations until 3 a.m.

New Year's Eve-hundreds of thousands of celebrations at Brandenburg Gate peacefully and without major incidents, several hundred thousand people in Berlin have welcomed it. The Brandenburg Gate was celebrated with music and fireworks. © Photo: Markus Schreiber/DPA

In Cologne, where two years ago many women were harassed, robbed and sexually harassed by men's groups, 1,400 policemen were in action. Investigations into sexual offences were initiated by 3 o'clock in nine cases, local police said. Several times police had to intervene in fights and disputes, but security concept was "consistently implemented". Thus, operational situation was comparable to that of a normal weekend day.

In whole of North Rhine-Westphalia, 16 offences were reported on New Year's Eve, which were perpetrated out of groups of at least three persons, and Office for Central Police Services was included. Last year re were still 38 of such crimes. All in all, police in NRW 41 (previous year: 25) received advertisements for sexual offences – including sexual insults as well.

In Hamburg, police were also represented this year with barrier bars, additional street lighting and video surveillance. According to police, re was a "very small measure" of sexual assault in Hanseatic city.

In Munich, "Nothing" of this kind was reported, said a police spokesman. However, it was too early for a serious record, he pushed after. "Experience shows that such a thing is often only shown one or two days later."

Date Of Update: 02 January 2018, 12:02