In Berlin on New Year’s Eve, more than 400 people were arrested. During the attack on police officers, 30 officers were injured, with one requiring emergency surgery to save his leg from amputation. Do Rzeczy contacted two Poles living in Germany, a political scientist and a journalist, who both described dramatic scenes in the cities of Berlin and Cologne, with both of them blaming immigration from non-EU countries for the violence seen across the country.
Dr. Ozdyk: The New Year’s Eve situation is escalating
Dr. Sławomir Ozdyk, who lives in Berlin, said that New Year’s Eve “was rough.” He pointed to the impact of Germany’s migration policy.
“This whole New Year’s Eve situation is escalating. The more of these men, because we are talking about men, come to Europe, the more the situation changes,” said the political scientist while speaking with Polish news outlet DoRzeczy.
He said that three pyrotechnic-free zones had been created in Berlin and they happen to be in highly multicultural neighborhoods in the city.
JUST IN: 🇩🇪 More footage from New Year's attacks in Berlin, including police being targeted and arson attacks on vehicles.
AfD co-leader Alice Weidel said in response: "Civil war-like conditions in the usual Berlin districts: attacks with ball bombs, 15 injured officers and 390… pic.twitter.com/jjQwY0GFkK
— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) January 2, 2025“The pyrotechnic-free zone is located in a place where there is always chaos,” he said.
He described the situation, saying that they first used all kinds of pyrotechnics, which are banned in Germany, on the streets. Then, they shot them at police officers, and next, they targeted entire buildings, many which were heavily damaged.
“This year we had a very large number of shellings of buildings, i.e., special aiming at balconies and windows,” said Dr. Ozdyk. “These banned fireworks have such power that they broke windows and flew into people’s apartments. It was something terrible this year. Several dozen apartments are unfit for use.”
As Remix News reported in detail yesterday, 36 apartments were rendered uninhabitable due to the use of powerful illegal fireworks, which produce massive window-shattering explosions.
🔥🇩🇪WAR ZONE BERLIN 🇩🇪🔥
Germany's capital city descends into mayhem during New Year's Eve.
🧨 36 apartments uninhabitable due to massively destructive "ball" bomb explosions
🚨 400 arrests
👮 670 investigations opened
Berlin is governed by a CDU mayor. pic.twitter.com/hkLw1HCTvs
— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) January 1, 2025A journalist from Cologne: They confused New Year’s Eve with war operations
Agnieszka Wolska, a journalist based in Cologne, spoke in a similar tone, saying, “I must admit that what we know from German realities is strikingly different from the standards that still prevail in Poland, and I hope this difference will last as long as possible.”
The journalist drew attention to an aspect related to migration policy.
“Unfortunately, in Germany, following the tradition of several years, many participants, mainly those with a migrant background, confused New Year’s Eve with war operations,” she noted.
There were not only attacks in Berlin. As reported by Deutsche Welle, in Leipzig, around 50 people attacked police officers with fireworks and bottles. According to investigators, the recorded crimes mainly concerned grievous bodily harm, breach of the peace, and violations of the Explosives Act. Attacks on police officers also occurred in Cologne, Hamburg and Munich, where the services intervened more than 700 times.
The fire brigade was called out to extinguish fires in many cities and municipalities. Houses, garages, sheds, cars and garbage cans were set on fire.
