Grindelfest in Hamburg canceled: Safety after Solingen-attack not guaranteed

Grindelfest in Hamburg canceled: Safety after Solingen-attack not guaranteed

Hamburg. In a worrying decision, the Grindelfest, a street festival to celebrate the cultural diversity, was canceled. The background to this decision is serious security concerns that are assessed as a direct result of a fatal terrorist attack in Solingen.

The terrible incident in Solingen, in which three people lost their lives, the organization of the Grindel Festival faced a challenge that is hard to manage. Although there were already cooperation with the Jewish community and other cultural institutions for the festival, which was planned in the Grindelviertel from September 13th to 15th, it was impossible to ensure the safety of the participants. Jimmy Blum, the chairman of the organizer Grindel e.V., said: "We cannot guarantee security and due to the current situation, the cancellation was inevitable."

background to the cancellations and security concerns

The cancellation of the festival was not made lightly. After the terrorist attack in Solingen, numerous discussions about the security situation took place, but the organizers quickly came to the conclusion that the risks were too high. According to Blum, the danger that such events could be taken by imitators as the goal is grown enormously.

A planned area for the festival, including stages and stands on the historic Joseph-Carlebach-Platz, should become a shop window of religious and cultural diversity. But reality is different. "In the end we are responsible when something happens," added Blum in an emotional explanation.

Although the plans for the Grindelfest were impressive, the organizers only have the hope of a new beginning in 2025.

reactions from politics

The cancellation was registered with sharp criticism in the political landscape of Hamburg. Anke Frieling, the vice boss of the CDU parliamentary group, described the situation as the "poverty certificate for our city". She expressed the urgent need to "celebrate tolerance and diversity", even in difficult times. Mayor Peter Tschentscher is asked to be on dialogue immediately to enable the festival to be carried out safely.

The resentment in the political ranks goes beyond the CDU. Sonja Jacobsen, the state chairman of the FDP, expressed concern about the importance of the Grindelfest in the Jewish community and saw an alarming signal for the security of public life in Hamburg. "The violent Islamism is the greatest threat to our free society," she explained and appealed to the Senate to rethink her own priorities in the fight against enemies

The repeated statement that there is "no space for hatred and anti -Semitism in Hamburg, according to Jacobsen, must also prove itself in reality. In a climate in which such a festival must be canceled, the liberal need for action.

It remains to be seen whether and how the security situation will be assessed in the future and whether Hamburg can remain a place of diversity and tolerance, which enables public festivals.