Drunk driver ploughs into pedestrians, thousands gather for Hasenheide rave, Neukölln rules out legal parties
Six people were injured, three of them seriously, when a car ploughed into pedestrians outside Bahnhof Zoo on Sunday morning. A 24-year-old man was at the wheel of the SUV when it lost control and ran into the group of passers-by on Hardenbergplatz next to the railway station. The driver, who was over the drink-drive limit, is said to have gone on a joy ride through the city before crashing his Mercedes. He was released from custody today after police ruled out manslaughter and terrorism. One of the victims is said to remain in a critical condition.
Police were called to the Hasenheide on Saturday night after around 3000 people gathered at the park for an outdoor rave. In what appears to be the biggest illegal gathering there yet, partiers descended on the Neukölln park where music systems and lights had been set up. Officers arrived on the scene at 11pm after local complaints and demanded the group disperse. The B.Z. reported that most of the attendees left peacefully, though it was 4.30am before the site was cleared. This is the latest in a series of unlicensed parties held at the park in contravention of Corona regulations. Berlin's health senator Dilek Kalayci called the parties "unacceptable" and "illegal" and said local authorities would fine attendees.
Neukölln will not allow legal open-air parties in green spaces following Saturday’s rave at the Hasenheide, district mayor Martin Hikel (SPD) has said. The Senat and Club Commission had hoped to allow a number of authorised parties to take place in outdoor spaces across the city. "After the completely irresponsible raves at the Hasenheide, I assume that the Senat will reconsider its proposal," Hikel told the Tagespiegel. Discussions between the city, districts and club representatives continue this week.
Debate over airport Covid-19 tests, key S-Bahn stretch closed, bus lane misery continues
Promised Corona test stations at Berlin’s airports are yet to materialise after a new row broke out over whether testing should be made mandatory for inbound passengers. On Friday state health ministers came to an agreement that free tests should be made available at Germany’s airports, but since then both Minister of the Chancellor's Office Helge Braun (CDU) and Bavarian Health Minister Melanie Huml (CSU) have spoken in favour of mandatory testing, while Berlin’s Health Minister Dilek Kalayci (SPD) said today that the tests should remain voluntary. "To carry out a test is already a strong intrusion into one’s intimate sphere and physical space," Kalayci told ZDF Morgenmagazin. Any mandatory testing would only affect passengers arriving from high-risk areas, which includes the U.S. and Israel.
Disruption for passengers travelling between Ostbahnhof and Alexanderplatz is expected as the S-Bahn line closes for maintenance this week. From today until Monday August 3, commuters will instead have to rely on a replacement bus service or regional trains between the two stations. Those travelling between Jannowitzbrücke and Alexanderplatz can use the U8.
Drivers parking in bus lanes continue to cause bus passengers misery despite new powers allowing the BVG to tow cars. Since gaining the green light to enforce its bus lanes in January, the BVG has removed a total of 1650 wrongly-parked cars using its seven-strong fleet of tow trucks. But since the number of vehicles towed by police has almost halved over the same period, the net gain for bus passengers has been marginal. Typical speeds of Berlin’s buses have been falling for years, with passengers conveyed at a leisurely 18 km/h average in 2019.
Feast and famine for Brandenburg’s tourism industry, wild camping surges
While the Corona crisis has undoubtedly been disastrous for international travel, for the Brandenburg tourism industry it’s been a mixed bag. Short breaks and active holidays are booming in the state, with rural hotspots like Spreewald and Rheinsberg in the Uckermark seeing solid visitor numbers, according to the German Hotel and Restaurant Association in Brandenburg. By contrast, the region’s cities are facing a bleak summer, with events and coach tours few and far between and large hotels currently only 20 percent full as holidaymakers avoid the crowds. Meanwhile restaurant operators are expecting revenues to be down a half compared to last year.
The rural tourism boom is causing an influx of wild campers in Brandenburg, leading to much consternation amongst locals. Despite ample space on campsites, visitors are still setting up camp in fields and forests, which is illegal under Germany’s strict wild camping laws. Jörg Klofski of Brandenburg’s Camping Association called for a crackdown. "The problem is considerable, and is concentrated in Spreewald, Havelland and around Rheinsberg," Klofski said in an interview with RBB, adding that lawbreaking campers should be "put in their place."