Cologne has introduced a knife ban for the start of the carnival season, with more than 1,000 police officers deployed to secure the city center. The festivities are scheduled for November 11.
Police will conduct targeted searches of people and bags with violations carrying fines of up to €10,000 and potential criminal charges. Replica weapons are also prohibited, with o operations manager Mareike de Valck telling the German Press Agency:
Anyone who wants to celebrate Carnival doesn’t need a knife. Especially as alcohol levels rise, readily available knives create incalculable risks.
Police and public order officers, supported by private security personnel, will patrol busy areas including the old town and Zülpich district, while the nearby synagogue receives special protection.
The measures have drawn criticism from some political figures. Alice Weidel of Alternative für Deutschland posted on X:
Christmas markets are being cancelled, knife bans are supposed to make Carnival in Cologne safe. Our culture is dying because the government does not want a migration turnaround.
Following recent Islamist attacks in Berlin, Magdeburg, and Solingen, new security requirements have also imposed heavy costs on event organizers and many Christmas Markets are to be cancelled.
