It's a déjà vu: Another New Year's Eve is imminent - and once again you can only celebrate “with the handbrake on”. The high number of corona infections and the impending omicron wave do not allow a carefree and dissolute turn of the year. New contact restrictions - a maximum of ten vaccinated people are allowed to spend the evening together - and a nationwide ban on the sale of firecrackers and rockets are intended to ensure that the New Year's Eve festival does not turn into a superspreading event. The police, fire brigade and rescue workers are expecting a strenuous night and have long prepared for the evening.
In Frankfurt, at the turn of the year, the police are largely relying on the concept that had already been developed last year under similar auspices.
She wants to be out and about on Frankfurt's streets on New Year's Eve with a large contingent - in order to identify sources of conflict early on and to be able to intervene quickly if the situation threatens to escalate.
A “communicative strategy” has priority.
In the event of rule violations - for example if a group of more than ten people is on the move - the people should first be approached about their misconduct.
If, however, no insight can be seen, one will take consistent, but proportionate, action, explained Torsten Englert from the Frankfurt Police Headquarters, who will lead the operation on New Year's Eve, at a press conference on Tuesday.
Police warn against buying guns on the Internet
Just like last year, Frankfurt is again setting up a large number of zones on the upcoming New Year's Eve, in which the setting off of fireworks is strictly prohibited. In principle, firecrackers and rockets are not prohibited. Even if there is a ban on the sale of fireworks, so-called old stocks may still be used up. Sparklers and similar harmless fireworks can still be bought and lit anyway. However, the police urgently warn against buying foreign firecrackers on the Internet or on the black market. These fireworks are often much more dangerous than the German brands now affected by the sales ban. The firecrackers restriction is intended to prevent the hospitals from being overburdened on New Year's Eve.
A general ban on fireworks will apply in downtown Frankfurt, within the system ring.
But also beyond that, firing at many “hotspots” is forbidden, for example on Berger Straße in Nordend, on Leipziger Straße in Bockenheim and on the station forecourt.
The ban also applies again in the Platensiedlung in the Ginnheim district, where there were riots with burning barricades several times in previous years on New Year's Eve.
Prohibited zones in Offenbach and Taunus
The Holbeinsteg and the Eiserne Steg will also be closed again on New Year's Eve. The pedestrian bridges over the Main are traditionally very popular on New Year's Eve, by closing them, you want to prevent crowds there. Car traffic around the river is also severely restricted: Both banks of the Main are not allowed to drive between the Alter Brücke and Untermainbrücke from December 30th to January 2nd.
Far-reaching fireworks prohibition zones are also set up in Offenbach. There, the Hafenplatz, which is very popular with young people, and the harbor stairs, the entire city center, the shopping streets in Bieber and Bürgel and a few other squares are affected. And if you want to celebrate on New Year's Eve on the highest elevation of the Taunus, you have to do so without fireworks. Apart from the fact that the animals in the nature park will thank you: The Hochtaunuskreis has banned fireworks on the summit plateau of the Großer Feldberg. The same applies to the roundabout at the lower end of Hohemarkstrasse near Oberursel's old town.
According to the police, it cannot be ruled out that "lateral thinkers" and those who refuse to be vaccinated will use New Year's Eve for spontaneous marches.
For days, the movement has been bringing many, sometimes violent, supporters onto the streets with unannounced “walks”.
However, there are no concrete references to planned rallies in downtown Frankfurt.
According to the Frankfurt police headquarters, the emergency services are still prepared for such spontaneous demonstrations.
Police officers who are adequately prepared for such situations are on duty.
Operations manager Englert does not want to name a specific number of police forces.
He hopes that the turn of the year will pass without escalation.
Most of the citizens are very prudent.