Security measures in Cologne
Faeser: “We won’t allow ourselves to be intimidated”
December 24, 2023, 4:55 p.m
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Even if the threat of terrorism is taken very seriously, one will not allow one’s way of life to be restricted, says Interior Minister Faeser in view of the increased security measures in Cologne. Visitors should come to the service there earlier due to entry controls.
According to Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, the reaction to a possible attack plan by Islamists on Cologne Cathedral shows how seriously the security authorities take such dangers. “We all love our Christmas traditions and will not allow ourselves to be intimidated or restricted in our way of life,” said the SPD politician to the Funke media group.
“But the same applies: We take the Islamist terrorist threat very seriously and are extremely vigilant,” said Faeser. The security authorities have the Islamist scene in their sights and are acting consistently. “The current measures also show this.” The federal and state governments are using all police and intelligence resources to identify dangers early and follow up on every tip-off, the minister continued.
The police had increased security measures at Cologne Cathedral because of indications of a possible attack plan by an Islamist group on Saturday. Police searched the cathedral on Saturday evening. According to information from dpa from security circles, the explosives detection dogs found nothing. According to the Cologne police, the information related to New Year’s Eve. North Rhine-Westphalia’s Interior Minister Herbert Reul made it clear that people should not be deterred from attending church because the protection provided by the authorities is working.
Measures could take some time
The police also announced that they would check all visitors to the cathedral on Christmas Eve. The police were also present in front of it with officers and around a dozen vehicles. According to the church, tourist visits were not possible. The church and the police advised people to come to the service a little earlier in view of the controls.
Cathedral provost Guido Assmann said in an interview on cathedral radio that he would not let his joy be taken away from him. “I think all those who might want to make a threat or do something against our free state or against religious freedom would say, ‘We have won’, if there is fear.” He emphasized: “The fact that we live in a constitutional state that protects religious freedom, that protects people when they want to come to church services, that protects everyone, I think that is a very, very great good. And that is what we are experiencing here.”
At the same time, the Cologne police made it clear that the increased security measures at the cathedral would continue for some time. “We now have to see how quickly we can actually get this information verified. It is certain that as long as a dangerous situation cannot be ruled out, we will of course continue to take these measures,” said Baldes. The police still have very busy days ahead.
Arrests in Vienna and Saarland
The police also increased security measures in Vienna. In Austria, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution arrested four people on Saturday while investigating an Islamist network. Interviews with the suspects and corresponding evaluations are currently underway, the Directorate for State Security and Intelligence in the Austrian Interior Ministry said in response to a dpa request. For tactical reasons, further details cannot be given at the moment.
According to dpa information, the suspicious group could possibly have a connection to an offshoot of the Islamic State (IS) terrorist network, which calls itself the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISPK) and has been involved in an armed conflict with militant Islamists in Afghanistan for several years Taliban fights. The spokeswoman for the Vienna public prosecutor’s office did not want to comment.
According to media reports, a man was also arrested in Saarland in connection with evidence of attack planning. The ARD reported without providing any sources that the suspect could be in connection with the ISPK. There has so far been no statement from the Federal Prosecutor General. A spokeswoman for the Cologne police could not say anything about the arrest. The man in Saarland has long been known to the authorities as an extremist, reported ARD.
Since the terrorist attack by the Islamist Hamas on Israel on October 7th, fears have been increasing that attacks could also occur in Germany. According to the police there, the terror alert level in Austria remains elevated. The additional precautionary measures served to maintain general safety in Austria.