Carnival: Saarland has "tightened up" safety measures for parades

Following the attack in Munich, the police in Saarland are increasing their security measures at carnival parades. "We have tightened up security and reassessed the situation with the organizers," said the spokesman for the Interior Ministry in Saarbrücken.

The police will keep a close eye on the access routes to the parades. Wider and heavier vehicles will also be deployed to keep the revelers safe, the spokesman said.

When it comes to the larger carnival parades, the events on Rose Monday in Saarbrücken-Burbach and Neunkirchen are the main focus. There are also smaller parades, "which are also treated accordingly." Even for smaller events, the police generally offer parade organizers the opportunity to meet with the police to discuss security.

On February 13, a 24-year-old Afghan drove a car into a Verdi demonstration in Munich . A two-year-old girl and her 37-year-old mother later died in hospital, and at least 37 other people suffered injuries, some of them serious.

This Thursday, with Weiberfastnacht, the street carnival starts, which culminates on Shrove Monday (March 3) with foolish parades.

However, additional costs for additional security measures should not be passed on to the clubs, said the president of the German Carnival Association (BDK), Klaus-Ludwig Fess. "The increased security requirements are the responsibility of the state and must also be borne by the state."

For larger moves such as those in Cologne and Düsseldorf, the additional costs due to security requirements could amount to 100,000 euros, said Fess. For smaller moves, up to 7,000 euros is realistic. "That's a huge sum for the small ones," said Fess.

The requirements are difficult for some clubs to cope with, not only financially but also organizationally. Paths have to be closed off and secured so that no one can drive into them. This is where some clubs reach their limits, said the BDK president. There are parades that have subsequently been canceled nationwide.

In Saarland, the municipality of Eppelborn had already cancelled its night parade in Eppelborn-Macherbach at the end of January. The reason was "safety concerns caused by drug and alcohol excesses, vandalism and disrespect on the part of some visitor groups," said Mayor Andreas Feld.

"The comprehensive security measures that would be necessary to continue to hold the event responsibly cannot be implemented with the available human resources from the organizers' point of view." Discussions with the police, among others, have confirmed that, in view of the security requirements, a move currently makes no sense.

© dpa-infocom, dpa:250225-930-386057/1