Berlin (Reuters) – Police spokesman said social media related to ISIS armed groups called for attacks on revelers in Cologne and Nuremberg this week, police spokesman said The traditional carnival celebrations were on high alert before.
The German-language publicity website operated by IS has released a computer-created collage image calling on viewers to “select your next target of attack” and list the dates and locations of the upcoming carnival event, the Bild newspaper reported.
The planned love episodes in the Dutch city of Rotterdam in early March were also listed as targets for collages, which were bloody knife and #letslughter tags.
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Germany has experienced a series of high-profile attacks, including robbery and stabbing, and held Islamic links for the national election on February 23.
The week-long carnival celebration will begin Thursday, taking place in some of Germany’s major Catholic south and west, where revelers pack the streets into parties, consuming a lot of alcohol and dance.
It is particularly popular among Rhineland cities such as Cologne and Düsseldorf, with next week’s celebrations peaking on “Rose Monday” with thousands of street parades featuring ridiculous or sarcastic buoys.
Cologne police say the operational plans for these incidents are adapting to the threat, but they say the collage may be evidence designed to disturb the population rather than imminent threats.
More than 1,400 officers will be stationed in known hot spots, emergency services will go all out and bagged and personal searches will be conducted.
Carnival organizers in the Bavarian city of Nuremberg said on Wednesday that an event on the IS-related website, the International Carnival Parade, was cancelled due to concerns expressed by the venue.
Organizers around the globe said about 50 people were expected to be held at the event in the Saigon Bar in central Nuremberg.
Nuremberg police said they are aware of the Islamic State threat, which is being assessed by the national security authorities.
They said there was no sign of an imminent attack.
(Reported by Miranda Murray; edited by Ros Russell)
