BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany is ramping up security before the start of the European Championship on June 14 to head off potential threats from Islamists, hooligans, violent individuals and cyberattacks, Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said on Tuesday.
Germany expects 2.7 million people to attend matches in stadiums across the country and some 12 million in fan zones for outdoor viewing, said Faeser, but security fears have mounted after a spate of attacks in recent months.
There are no concrete indications of a threat but Germany is doing everything possible to make the event safe, Faeser said.
“You can never 100% guarantee security but we are well prepared and remain very vigilant,” she told reporters, saying there would be a heavy police presence, backed up by officers from other countries and 16,000 volunteers.
Amid a polarised political climate that has seen several attacks on politicians, a 25-year-old with a knife severely injured six people at a right-wing rally in Mannheim on Friday. A policeman died from his injuries. The attacker was shot.
Faeser said the tournament was, however, an opportunity for people to come together in the face of threats from Russian aggression and extremism at home.
“We want to show that sport stands for respect and cohesion,” Faeser said.
(Reporting by Madeline Chambers,; Editing by Miranda Murray and Ed Osmond)
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