In Cologne, a steward is said to have demanded cash from revellers in exchange for letting them onto Zülpicher Straße, which had already been closed due to overcrowding. This is not the first time this has happened. The police say there are witnesses who claim to have observed the 20-year-old. Officers were able to identify the employee of a security service at around 6.30 pm and seize several thousand euros from him. Several stewards in Cologne are said to have already accepted bribes at Carnival in February this year and at the opening of the season last year. The investigations by the public prosecutor's office against six suspects at the time are still ongoing.

Most people in Cologne partied without causing any trouble, the police say. Pressure grew in the afternoon because more and more people were drunk. By late Saturday evening, police had issued 63 dispersal orders. According to preliminary findings, so far 96 criminal charges were fired, mainly for assault, pickpocketing and sexual offences. Two suspects were provisionally arrested.

An 18-year-old had tried to kiss a 17-year-old against her will. When officers intervened, the young man allegedly bit a one officer on the hand and tried to take possession of his service weapon. The offender was taken into custody. A 24-year-old who massively insulted and hit police officers performing first aid was also taken into police custody. One officer was injured in the shoulder in the incident and was unable to continue his duties.

Ten people are said to have kicked a man who was lying on the ground at Aachener Weiher. At around 6 pm, an e-scooter rider fell and injured himself. The police measured his blood alcohol level at 1.2 per mille. The police stopped 40 other drunk e-scooter riders during traffic checks. They took blood samples and confiscated the driving licences of 26 of them. At Neumarkt, a car driver was hit with a glass bottle and injured in an argument.

The head of police operations was particularly pleased that there were no incidents involving the synagogue in Cologne. "In addition to the safety of all carnival revellers, that was a particular concern of mine."

The Mayor of Cologne, Henriette Reker, visited the city’s largest synagogue, which is located almost directly on the main party mile, on Saturday. "Of course we are thinking of the hardship and despair that our Jewish fellow citizens are experiencing at the moment," said the politician, who is not a party member. "Carnival is now being celebrated here not far from the synagogue. Many people need to let off steam right now. Others cannot stop thinking of the violent attacks by Hamas and what has followed."

Carnival revellers set an example against right-wing extremists

According to media reports, state security is investigating two people who allegedly climbed a lamppost on Zülpicher Straße at around 12 noon and gave the Hitler salute. Against this backdrop, around 55 members of various carnival societies gathered silently in front of the synagogue in Roonstraße at around 3.30 pm under the motto "Carnivalists against the right". The police are looking for witnesses to the incident on Zülpicher Straße.

On Saturday, there were 1,000 police officers, 180 public order officers and more than 1,000 private security staff on duty in Cologne to keep the peace. The revellers had travelled from all over Germany. The police said they will have a full report on the start of the Carnival season on 17 November.

In Bonn, around 5,000 people celebrated the start of the season on the market square. According to the police and emergency services, there were no significant incidents here.

In Düsseldorf, where things are traditionally much quieter on 11 November, the police said there had been no increase in the number of operations. Around 5,000 people watched the traditional "Hoppeditz" awaken on Rathausplatz, which took a little longer this year to free itself from its mustard pot. According to a spokesperson for the Düsseldorf Carnival Committee, the surrounding streets were also "packed full".

Original text: dpa, ga

Translation: Jean Lennox