Attack in Magdeburg How well protected are Swiss Christmas markets?
The deadly attack on the Christmas market in Magdeburg is also unsettling for visitors in Switzerland. According to an expert, many markets in this country are not adequately protected.
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- After the attack in Magdeburg, the protection of Christmas markets is the subject of intense debate.
- A Swiss expert criticizes the inadequate protection of many Christmas markets.
- Security concepts are often not detailed enough and barriers are only set up in isolated cases.
After the deadly attack in Magdeburg, Swiss Christmas markets are also very concerned - and unsettled. Could such an attack happen anywhere, including in Switzerland?
One visitor to the Münsterhof market in Zurich told theTagesanzeigernewspaper that she had a "queasy feeling". Another said: "I was already thinking about it this morning". However, there was no question of her not visiting the Christmas market. "I feel safe in Zurich, I know the city, and fortunately there has never been a terrorist attack like this here."
The organizers of the Christmas market on Münsterhof have reacted, writes Tagi. They have adapted the security concept in view of possible copycat offenders. For example, the times during which the mobile access barriers are activated have been extended.
Little information from the police for tactical reasons
Wienachtsdorf am Bellevue is working closely with the city police on the security concept. Co-organizer Katja Weber assures us that the city police are well prepared and that we have full confidence in the authorities.
The city police are reluctant to provide information on security precautions. "For tactical reasons, we are not providing any detailed information on the specific security and criminal police measures in the vicinity of the Zurich Christmas markets", said spokesperson Marc Surber on Saturday at the request of Tagi. However, the Zurich city police are in constant contact with the relevant cantonal and federal authorities. In addition, as in the past, vehicle restraint systems will be used at the various marketplaces.
Basel, Solothurn and Bern have also reassessed the security situation for their own Christmas markets and Sunday sales areas following the attack in Magdeburg. However, according to the Basel police, the current terrorist situation in Switzerland has not changed.
Expert criticizes half-baked security concepts
Securing events is always a balancing act for those responsible, says Sandro Wetter, co-owner of the Wetter Group, which manufactures mobile security barriers, among other things, to "20 Minuten". "You want to protect yourself, but you don't want to put up a concrete wall around the entire Christmas market". This is why many events in Switzerland are inadequately protected.
He sees a danger in security concepts that are not worked out down to the last detail. Often, only isolated security barriers are set up. According to Wetter, tests have shown that concrete elements, which are often used as barriers, are sometimes unable to stop vehicles or break into dangerous concrete shrapnel on impact, which can injure people, writes "20 Minuten".
The organizers cannot estimate whether fewer people will visit the Christmas markets in Switzerland as a result of the attack in Magdeburg. One of the aims of such attackers is quite clear: to stir up fear in people so that they stay away from events such as Christmas markets.