30 persons checked for identification Police break up party at Brassertufer on the banks of the Rhine
Police and officers from the Pubic Order Department checked identification of several people on the banks of the Rhine at Brassertufer on Friday after residents complained about noise. Groups of young people meet up there regularly and party while intoxicated.
The banks of the Rhine near the city center in Bonn have always been a popular meeting place for young people who like to party in the summer months - much to the chagrin of nearby residents who regularly complain about noise.
According to police, young people from Bonn and the surrounding area meet regularly along the left bank of the Rhine promenade when the weather is nice - especially on weekends. There are reports of frequent alcohol-related fights between individual persons who are partying there.
Police and the Public Order Department have been regularly monitoring this area to prevent such parties and gatherings. Late Friday evening, police checked identifications of 15 persons who were partying at the Brassertufer. The officers recognized two men, aged 31 and 22, and ordered them out of the area. They also verified that a 17-year-old who they found there had been reported missing. He was taken to a youth protection facility. A 31-year-old man was taken into preliminary custody on suspicion of violating immigration law. A team from the criminal investigation department is pursuing the case.
At around half past midnight on the other side of the Rhine (Beuel), there were also reports of noise disturbances in the area. Police officers were called to the scene, and again checked 15 persons for identification. They had been at the river bank on Rheinauestrasse until officers dispersed the gathering.
Police and public order officers want to prevent larger crowds of people from gathering in these areas by controlling them regularly. But dispersing the groups is not always a peaceful process, as demonstrated in recent weeks. Police reported encountering some aggressive youths at Brassertufer and Erzbergerufer. On June 10, an officer was punched in the mouth when he tried to check the identity of one person.
On Saturday, police reported that they expelled 70 persons from the affected areas in the month of June. Several of them had to be taken into temporary custody.
One of the problems police encounter is that smaller groups of drunken youths often interfere when police try to checks the identity of other people at the scene. Some of them act very aggressively and show solidarity with the persons being approached by police officers. Often, they try to disrupt or prevent the police work.
(Orig. text: Michael Wrobel / Translation: ck)
