MUNICH (Reuters) – Hand-held metal detectors are being introduced at the world’s largest beer festival this year after last month’s fatal knife attack at a festival in the German city of Solingen.
“We want to detect knives with this,” Oktoberfest organiser Clemens Baumgaertner said of the new measure, adding that the number of stewards was also being increased for the festival’s start on Saturday.
The festival, which takes place every year at the Theresienwiese in Munich, will last just over two weeks as the southern German city’s 189th Oktoberfest.
Paulaner, Spatenbraeu and Loewenbraeu are some of the featured German brewers that set up tents at the festival, which will also feature Bavarian live music, lederhosen, dirndls and pretzels.
Bag checks upon entry and pat downs will feature as usual, as will monitoring by Munich’s police for weapons.
“Anyone who is thinking about carrying his hunting knife because it looks good – not a good idea, really costs a lot of money,” Munich police spokesman Andreas Franken said, warning of potential fines.
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(Reporting by Anja Guder and Christine Uyanik, writing by Marleen Kaesebier, editing by Rachel More and Christina Fincher)
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