New Year’s Eve (Silvesternacht in German) was a festive, inclusive, culture-enriching experience in Germany last weekend. The two reports below provide an overview of what the mischievous “youths” of Berlin and Saxony were up to as they welcomed in 2023.

The first account discusses the assertion by the interior minister of Lower Saxony that “right-wing extremists” were among the troublemakers who attacked rescue workers. As it turned out, he was unable to identify a single example — all the attackers were either culture-enrichers or left-wing thugs.

Many thanks to Hellequin GB for translating this article from Junge Freiheit:

Attacks on rescue workers

New Year’s Eve riots: Interior Minister speaks of “right-wing extremist milieu”

The debate takes a turn on attacks on rescue workers during the New Year’s Eve riots. Lower Saxony’s SPD interior minister also sees perpetrators who come “from the right-wing extremist milieu”.

Hannover

Lower Saxony’s Interior Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) brought “right-wing extremist” perpetrators into play in the debate about attacks on rescue workers and police officers. Videos in social networks have so far made it clear that, at least on New Year’s Eve, it was mainly migrants in numerous cities and also left-wing extremists — such as in Leipzig-Connewitz — who attacked police officers, firefighters and paramedics.

Pistorius now said on the public radio station NDR-Info verbatim: “We will be in situations more and more often in which the police have to protect rescue workers. This is dramatic and should be taken very seriously. It is a debate that we in society must have openly and honestly. What actually happens here when it is almost exclusively young men and some from the right-wing extremist milieu, but also from a migrant milieu? Then we have a development that is extremely worrying.”

New Year’s Eve riots: Pistorius does not prove thesis

However, cases of attacks by right-wing extremists on New Year’s Eve have not yet been documented. Pistorius also did not provide any examples for this thesis in the interview. Even in a context that went beyond the turn of the year, the politician failed to show cases in which neo-Nazis attacked rescue workers.

The interior minister of Lower Saxony also called for “ancillary penalties that hit young men particularly hard, such as the suspension of their driver’s license.” Because this would “have a completely different effect than a fine or a suspended sentence.” Attacks on firefighters, police, rescue workers and prosecutors are punishable by up to five years in prison under the Criminal Code.

Afterword from the translator:

The Socialists are the worst. They were also heavily involved in betraying the Weimar Republic and helping Hitler into the saddle. They just don’t want to know about it. Just as Pistorius rants meaninglessly that “extreme right-wing” perpetrators are the main culprits, he cannot call the real criminals by name and street number, because that would mean admitting that the policies he has helped to implement are to blame for these conditions.

And this is what the police have been saying about that night:

The police have published more information about the New Year’s Eve attacks in Berlin. Accordingly, 145 people were provisionally arrested in connection with the riots, most of them men, as a police spokesman said. He thus confirmed media reports. All suspects were released after the police measures were completed.

A total of 18 different nationalities were recorded. 45 of the suspects are German nationals, 27 are Afghan nationals and 21 are Syrians . The number of those arrested was originally given as 159. There were double counts, said the police spokesman. The numbers are still provisional.

According to the police, a total of 355 criminal and administrative offense proceedings were initiated because of the riots in Berlin. Among other things, they are being investigated for breach of the peace, attack on and resistance to law enforcement officers and rescue workers, dangerous bodily harm and causing an explosion.

Source: Focus Online/January 4, 2023

The second report provides more details on the festivities in Berlin. Many thanks to Gary Fouse for translating this article from Die Welt:

On New Year’s Eve rescue services, police, and firefighters were attacked with rockets and fireworks. In Berlin alone, the police took 145 people into custody. All are reportedly free again. The investigations continue.

After the New Year’s Eve riots in Berlin, the police released further information regarding the suspects. Accordingly, in connection with the riots, 145 people were provisionally arrested, most of whom were men, as a police spokesperson said Tuesday evening. With that, he confirmed media reports. After the conclusion of the police measures, all suspects have reportedly been released.

Altogether, there are reportedly 18 different nationalities arrested. 45 of the suspects have German citizenship. Then there are 27 suspects with Afghan nationality and 21 Syrians.

The number of arrests was originally given as 159. There were some double counts, said the police spokesperson. The numbers are still preliminary.

Due to the riots, a total of 355 criminal and administrative proceedings were initiated. Being investigated, among others, are breaches of the peace, attacks, resistance against enforcement officers and rescue services, dangerous bodily injury, and causing an explosion.

250 arrested in North-Rhine Westphalia

Besides Berlin, according to a preliminary total from the Central Police Service, 42 police were injured. The North Rhine-Westphalia Interior Minister Herbert Reul (Christian Democrat Union) ordered those responsible to be quickly identified and punished. As of now, more than 250 people have been arrested or taken into custody, he told WDR-Radio in Cologne on Monday.

After the New Year’s attacks, the federal government is also counting on a consistent legal prosecution of the perpetrators. The deputy government spokeswoman Christian Hoffman said on Monday in Berlin that there is great trust in the investigative officials of the federal states that the perpetrators who carried out these attacks, will be consistently identified. Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (Social Democrat Party) stated she was “stunned and angry” over the attacks on the first responders.

Hoffman stressed: “The rule of law must not allow people who celebrate peacefully in our cities and emergency personnel who do their duty to be subjected to these kinds of attacks.” In the name of the government and Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (Social Democrat Party), she specifically thanked the police, rescue personnel, and volunteers for their courageous, dangerous intervention on New Year’s Eve.