The city's public order department had 59 employees on hand, 22 of whom were monitoring the parade and rescue routes. As of 4:19 pm, they reported that 19 vehicles were unlawfully parked and had to be towed away. This is twelve fewer than in the previous year.

A further 22 employees monitored young people in the Altstadt (Old Town) and six were on duty in the city center. According to the city, about 300 young teenagers were stopped and checked up until the afternoon. They had to empty about 250 bottles of alcohol - this is 78 bottles less than at the same time last year. Three also had to dispose of their cigarettes (2019: 2). A heavily drunk young person also had to be taken care of by paramedics. Last year there were two people in this predicament.

A complaint was filed against a kiosk owner because he had not publicly displayed the necessary information on the protection of minors regarding the sale of alcohol and tobacco products to young people. As well, some young people were noticed throwing glass and bottles at the parade from an elevated area at the city administration building on Maxstrasse.

"From the city's point of view, (this is) an unacceptable aggressive and dangerous behavior that cannot be tolerated in any way. Anyone who so recklessly accepts that parade participants and carnival revelers may be injured has no business at the Rose Monday procession", said Carsten Sperling, head of department of the city public order office. The police took down the identifications of the troublemakers. According to the Bonn authorities, a plainclothes police officer on Maxstrasse was also hit by an apparently targeted bottle throwing. He had to be taken to hospital with injuries on his thigh. The perpetrator is unidentified so far, but the police are taking tips under 0228/150.

A quiet Rose Monday was reported by the fire and rescue services. While the firefighters had not been deployed, the rescue service was called out eight times, two of those times with emergency doctors. In addition, the parade organizer’s medical service had to provide assistance 18 times.

The city is also satisfied with the distribution of so-called Safe-Packs, which employees of the Bonn "event sprinter” van handed out to children and young people in the Old Town. Contents: fruit, water and hot drinks. "More than 350 Safe-Packs had already been distributed to young people in the afternoon - and the number of 400 from the previous year is likely to be exceeded," the city said in its announcement. The employees of the "event sprinter" also exchanged about 20 liters of alcoholic beverages for snacks, drink bags or gloves.

The police said the Rose Monday procession was predominantly peaceful. Until 6 p.m., the officers, who had to intervene several times because of disputes, bodily harm or because celebrants were partying, took three people into custody. According to police reports, these people were drunk, had gone on a rampage, or had failed to comply with one of the eleven warnings issued by then. The officers registered three charges of assault and battery.

"I am glad that the people, despite the initial rain, have not let their mood be spoiled. Through our strong presence and the consistent and early intervention, we have contributed to the fact that the people were able to celebrate mostly peacefully together. I would like to expressly emphasize the good cooperation with the city of Bonn, the rescue services, the Federal Agency for Technical Relief and the parade management", police director Anja Gans said in an initial positive assessment.

Shortly after 4pm, carnival activities in front of the Old Town Hall slowly dissipated. Then Prince Richard I and Bonna Katharina III had also arrived at the Marktplatz. But the parade was not over yet: Thousands were still waiting on the remaining parade route, for example in the Old Town of Bonn. At 5:46pm, all the theme floats, bands and groups on foot had finally reached the end of the parade route at Dorotheenstraße.

Orig. text: Laszlo Scheuch

Translation: ck