Germany Arrests 430 After New Year’s Eve Disorder

German police arrested around 430 people following widespread disorder during New Year’s Eve celebrations across several cities, as violent attacks on emergency services and deadly fireworks incidents marred the start of the year.

In the capital, Berlin, police said roughly 430 suspects were detained after coordinated attacks targeting officers. At least 35 police officers were injured, two of whom were taken to the hospital. Authorities reported what they described as serious assaults on intervention and rescue forces, including the use of firearms and fireworks.

Similar incidents were reported elsewhere. In Hamburg, ten police officers were injured, while an unspecified number of individuals were questioned or placed in custody. Police said emergency services faced repeated attacks as they responded to disturbances.

To prevent unrest, Berlin deployed around 3,200 additional police officers, based on previous years’ experience, while Hamburg reinforced its presence with about 1,000 extra officers.

In North Rhine-Westphalia, the country’s most populous state, police recorded around 30 attacks on officers during nearly 4,000 security operations overnight. In Leipzig, groups of rioters launched coordinated assaults on security forces in several neighbourhoods, using fireworks, stones and bottles filled with paint.

Germany’s police union called for swift prosecutions of those responsible. Union representative Andreas Rosskopf told the newspaper Bild that attacks on emergency and police forces constitute serious assaults on the rule of law.

The night was also marked by fatal fireworks accidents. In Bielefeld, two 18-year-old men died after using homemade fireworks. Police said the pair had been setting off improvised devices at various locations and suffered fatal facial injuries.

In Berlin, several people were seriously injured while handling fireworks, with more than 30 treated at a city trauma hospital.

The incidents have reignited debate in Germany over public safety, fireworks regulation and the protection of emergency services during New Year celebrations.