Major western
cities are tightening security for New Year’s Eve celebrations amid continuing
terrorism fears, with authorities particularly concerned about a repeat of this
year’s deadly truck attacks in Germany and
France.
“Every measure is
being taken to prevent a possible attack,” said police spokesman Thomas
Neuendorf in Berlin, where concrete blocks and armoured cars will prevent all
but carefully controlled pedestrian access to Pariser Platz, the square in
front of Brandenburg Gate that is the traditional site for New Year’s Eve
celebrations.
A record number of armed police will
be patrolling London’s streets and a ring of concrete barriers will be block
roads to the city center for New Year’s Eve celebrations following terrorist
lorry attacks on the Continent.
The number of armed Scotland Yard
officers will be higher than the 2,000 on duty for last year’s festivities and
armed transport police will again patrol the London Underground.
Major cities around the world said they were stepping up security
for the festivities, with many blocking roads to prevent a repeat of attacks in
Nice and Berlin.
Ken Marsh, chairman of the
Metropolitan Police Federation, said: “I can assure you that there is a big armed
operation over London. There are more armed police this year than there have
been ever before. There are far more bollards that have been put in place than
ever before.”
In total, 3,800 police officers will
be on duty in central London, with thousands more in the rest of the capital.
In Italy, where fears of an attacks
were heightened last week by Amri’s
killing in the suburbs of Milan,
the interior ministry said it had deported a Tunisian national who was “set to
strike” Italy.
The prime minister, Paolo Gentiloni,
has said there is no evidence the Berlin attacker was part of a terrorist
network in Italy, but police have
increased their presence at possible targets and tourist areas in Rome, and
some trucks and buses are forbidden from entering the city centre.
The US Army said the chances of an attack on
American soil are low but “undeniable” and they will deploy 100 “blocker
vehicles” and 7,000 police officers in Time Square tonight, where thousands of
people will celebrate the New Year.
Armed police will patrol the Tube for the first
time ever on New Year’s Eve and thousands of officers will form a protective
ring around the firework display in London.
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