A 29-year-old Moroccan man who pulled a knife and threatened visitors at the Weimar Christmas market‘s ice rink on Saturday, November 29th, has been released from custody since offenses deemed insufficient for detention.
Police of the city of Goethe and Schiller that has seen better days said the suspect had been harassing visitors before a witness confronted him, prompting the suspect to react aggressively and pull a knife. Bystanders pushed him away from the rink as the situation escalated.
When officers arrived they used pepper spray to subdue the man who resisted arrest. Three people were slightly injured by the spray during the intervention. Police later said the suspect was intoxicated and is already known for violent offences.
Despite the confrontation and the violation of the Christmas market’s knife ban, police chief Christian Hackbart confirmed that the alleged offenses—threats, attempted assault and the knife offence—did not meet the criteria for continued detention.
Authorities say these kind of incidents increasingly happen at a time when Christmas markets are opening. As a result, Germany’s markets face rising security costs with some towns installing concrete barriers or cancelling events altogether.
