BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany experienced far fewer security incidents than expected as hosts of the European Championship that drew 2.6 million people to 10 stadiums nationwide, the interior ministry said on Monday, crediting a strong police presence and border controls.
“Our strong security measures worked in all areas,” said Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, who thanked security officials, volunteers and emergency services for their work during the month-long tournament that ended on Sunday night with a 2-1 win for Spain over England.
“We were prepared for all conceivable dangers – from Islamist terrorism to violence from hooligans, cyberattacks and dangerous drone flights – and we had steeled ourselves against all threats,” added Faeser.
The presence of 22,000 police officers daily had helped contribute to the vast majority of matches running calmly and smoothly, and a tangible feeling of safety, said the ministry.
Security fears had mounted after a spate of attacks ahead of the tournament, including several on politicians, as well as the Islamic State calling for violence, though the ministry repeatedly said there was no concrete indications of a threat.
The police presence, particularly riot police, had been the main deterrent against any major clashes between hooligans, said the ministry. More than 100 hooligans had been prevented from entering Germany as part of flexible border control measures that had resulted in 1,112 arrests overall, it added.
During the tournament, which attracted some six million people to fan zones for outdoor viewing, police recorded roughly 2,340 related criminal offences, 700 of which were bodily harm.
Cyberattacks, which had been a concern due to the participation of Ukraine, had not played a serious role, while extremist slogans and chants were isolated incidents and the number of politically motivated crimes at a low level, it said.
(Reporting by Miranda Murray; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
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