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Violence alarm on the Wasen: Police officers injured in a fight!
Violence at Cannstatter Wasen: Police intervene after a dispute between showmen. Eleven arrests, many injured.
Violence alarm on the Wasen: Police officers injured in a fight!
On Tuesday night there was a shocking escalation of violence at the Cannstatter Wasen, known as the second largest folk festival in the world. A dispute developed between two showman families in a festival tent run by festival hostess Sonja Merz, known from “Tent with Heart”. Security forces were forced to call police for help as the situation quickly spiraled out of control. Picture reports that the situation escalated when the beating was solidarity and attacking police officers.
Police used pepper spray to bring the situation under control, but this did not prevent a total of eight police officers and four security guards from being injured. Eleven people have been arrested so far, including women. The police are now investigating serious offenses such as breach of the peace and physical attacks on law enforcement officers. It is not yet clear whether the showmen also needed medical help.
Total record of the folk festival
Although this incident kept the police and security forces busy, the federal police draw an overall positive assessment of the 177th Cannstatter Volksfest. According to a report by the Swabian There was a "significantly reduced number of police relevant events" compared to the previous year. The total number of offenses with a referendum from 83 to 45 fell. The decline in assault is particularly worth mentioning, which was reduced by 29 percent to 20 cases.
During the event, authorities reported a marked decrease in all types of crimes, including violence against law enforcement officers. The safety of rail passengers was also guaranteed during themed events such as VFB Stuttgart home games thanks to an effective operational concept.
Reactions and demands
After the incidents at the festival, festival host Merz expressed skepticism and announced that she wanted to consult with the police about the crimes. The spokesman for the festival hosts, Werner Klauss, called for consequences for the perpetrators and even did not rule out the thugs being excluded from the next folk festival. It remains to be seen how the organizers and authorities will react to this incident, especially with regard to the security precautions for the remaining festival days - the Cannstatter Volksfest runs until October 12th.
Overall, it can be seen that despite the violent outbreak, a positive tendency can be seen in the crime statistics of the folk festival. It remains to be hoped that such individual cases will not spoil the good reputation of the popular folk festival and that visitors can continue to experience a peaceful festival.