1.96 Million Petition Against Fireworks Ban
1.96 million people signed a petition to ban the use of fireworks in Germany.
On the 7th, Yonhap News quoted rbb broadcasting and reported that related petitions increased as large-scale casualties occurred due to New Year's fireworks celebrations in Germany. Thirty-five organizations, including the police union, the German Environmental Protection Association, and the Medical Association, called for a legal ban on the use of fireworks by ordinary people who are not explosives experts.
Police officers are on duty during the New Year's celebration fireworks on the 1st (local time) in Berlin, Germany. Photo by Reuters and Yonhap News.
The police union said it started collecting signatures two years ago, but citizen participation surged after five people died earlier this year. There were also numerous injuries such as lost fingers and vision loss. In Berlin alone, at least 360 people, including 17 police officers, were injured, and 670 people were arrested for violations of the Explosives Act and other offenses.
There were several cases where fireworks were deliberately thrown into crowds or accidentally exploded causing injuries. A 10-year-old child in Rostock suffered serious injuries when a firework exploded right in front of their face. A university hospital in the capital Berlin reported that 15 patients were treated for hand injuries. At the Marien Hospital in Stuttgart, three patients lost one or more fingers.
Most accidents were caused by homemade fireworks or high-risk grade fireworks whose sale and use by the general public are prohibited under the Explosives Act. German security authorities have restricted high-risk fireworks and designated no-fireworks zones. Also, high-risk fireworks can only be used by certified experts for fireworks events. However, accidents occur every year as ordinary people secretly bring in fireworks from Poland, the Czech Republic, and other places and set them off.
Regarding a fatal incident in Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, the police arrested a 19-year-old dealer who sold high-risk fireworks on charges of negligent homicide and violation of the Explosives Act. Berlin police announced that 330 people were arrested on charges including violations of the Explosives Act and Weapons Act. Due to repeated casualties every year, the police union and others argue that the use of fireworks by individuals who are not explosives experts should be completely banned.
Stefan Bae, head of the Berlin branch of the police union, said, "We started the petition campaign to protect our colleagues from the violence of fireworks play," adding, "Every year at the beginning of the year, people discuss fireworks, but nothing has been done against this madness."
However, the political circles are reportedly negative about banning fireworks, citing that New Year's fireworks celebrations are a long-standing tradition and that enforcement is impossible. Herbert Reul, Minister of the Interior of North Rhine-Westphalia, argued, "If banned, police would have to be deployed everywhere to prevent anyone from throwing fireworks. Even in football stadiums, this is impossible." Chancellor Olaf Scholz also said, "I support introducing proper regulations for fireworks production, but banning fireworks somehow seems strange."
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