From Hildburg Bruns
The street sign is a reminder of Berlin’s bravest youth judge: Kirsten-Heisig-Platz! The Neukölln fire station is right on the square. Their rescuers were deliberately lured into ambushes and shot at by young people on New Year’s Eve.
“It was brutal,” says Jasmin Oetken (27). The student has been with the volunteer fire department since March. “We were called to the burning garbage containers on Silbersteinstrasse. When we were there, masked people stood left and right and shot at us with pyrotechnics. After consultation with the control center, we switched to a quieter side street – self-protection came first.”
Firefighters were attacked and could only go about their work under police protection Photo: Christian Mang
With her Neukölln model, judge Heisig († 2010) established fast-track processes for juvenile delinquents.
Berlin’s ruler Franziska Giffey (44, SPD) admitted on Friday after her talks with the firefighters who were attacked: “In the past few years, it has been a bit out of sight.”
Franziska Giffey in conversation with firefighters Photo: Christoph Soeder/dpa
She calls for consistent criminal prosecution: “The judiciary is responsible.” From her point of view, there is extensive evidence that many perpetrators are known.
But Lena Kreck (41), Senator for Justice with a Left Party membership, dismisses the idea. After the New Year’s Eve riots, she assumes that the investigations will be extensive and therefore lengthy. “It is important that the judgments are accurate,” says Die Linke.
The fire service record: 15 injured firefighters. One came to the clinic with an eye injury, another suffered a blast trauma and was treated on an outpatient basis. There were twenty pyro fire aimed attacks.
Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, Berlin’s governor Franziska Giffey and Interior Senator Iris Spranger (from left) visiting the fire station in Neukölln Photo: Ralf Lutter
“It does something to us. Established colleagues about to retire say they were afraid for the first time. That must not be repeated. We need decisions now,” demands fire chief Karsten Homrighausen (55).
► Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (52, SPD) wants to tighten gun laws. “Banging guns are not harmless instruments, they are weapons. Permission is required for this. That is an important signal.”
► Interior Senator Iris Spranger (61, SPD) insists on equipping firefighters and police officers with 4,000 mini-cameras to deter violent criminals. The Greens and the Left reject this. Spranger: “I don’t think that’s a good thing. My coalition partners should pull together.”
Fire brigade candidate Alexander (25) on Kirsten-Heisig-Platz next to his fire station “It was scary. We were ambushed and fired at with rockets. Our squadron leader decided: We don’t get off” Photo: Ralf Lutter
Giffey not only thinks New Year’s Eve is a problem day: “It’s the tip of the iceberg. It’s also a fall in values, a disrespect that’s visible on every other day.”
Police officers and firefighters were attacked on New Year’s Eve
The attacks on the police and fire brigade took place in hot spots where investments in prevention and social work had been made for years. Giffey: “And yet it happened.”
The Senate plans to discuss the consequences on Tuesday.