Date: Saturday, 08 July 2023
Reporter
Lorenzo Rendon Valencia
After the attacks on an Eritrean cultural event last year, the Gießen police are particularly present this year: There have already been the first violations of the no-gun zone (symbol image).
Contrary to the municipal ban, the controversial Eritrea Festival in Gießen can take place as planned this weekend. The police are on site with a large contingent. During the night, 60 people were taken into custody.
According to the police, several groups of people tried to get towards the Hessenhallen. The Eritrea Festival takes place there.
Due to a video on social networks, the emergency services had indications of a planned attack on the festival. In order to prevent violent actions, the police said they took about 60 people into custody.
In general, the police speak of a largely calm course so far. The police checked several vehicles and people. Around 50 dismissals were pronounced. In the evening, a registered counter-meeting with around 250 participants ended prematurely.
During checks, the police identified people who are said to have called for crimes in advance. There have also been violations of issued residence bans and the weapons ban zone. Some places were sent off, but were not followed. According to the police, a very low double-digit number of people were taken into custody. Among them was a 47-year-old man who, according to the police, had threatened violence against the cultural festival in advance.
Over the course of Saturday, over 1,000 emergency services will be on the move in Giessen. There is also support from the police in Saarland, Saxony, Lower Saxony, Baden-Württemberg and the Federal Police. There is a registered rally in Schlachthofstrasse.
Due to the Eritrea Festival and the rally, there may be traffic disruptions in downtown Giessen. Current traffic reports in the FFH traffic jam pilot
On Friday, the Hessian Administrative Court dismissed complaints by the city of Gießen against a decision by the Gießen Administrative Court, which had previously overturned the ban. The organizer's security concept is sufficient to counteract the impending dangers for organizers and visitors, the VGH explained, among other things, as a reason.
The city "did not communicate its expectations for a security concept appropriate to the danger situation to the organizer clearly enough and not in good time". In addition, the organizer cannot be held responsible for the threats of violence made on social media.
The festival was also banned by the Gießen regulatory office in view of the violent protests at the previous event last summer. From the point of view of the authorities, the security concept was not sufficient to avert imminent dangers, especially for festival visitors, but also for the general public.
The Gießen district had previously set up a temporary no-arms zone . The background is feared riots in connection with the Eritrea Festival in the exhibition halls.
