Bavaria’s Minister of the Interior Joachim Herrmann takes stock of the IAA Mobility: “The police were excellently positioned – the operational concept has proved its worth – thanks to all the emergency services

+++ Bavaria’s Minister of the Interior, Joachim Herrmann, is very satisfied with the police’s first assessment of operations at the IAA Mobility 2023 in Munich: “The Bavarian police, together with the support forces from other federal states, did a great job in and around Munich during the IAA. I would like to thank the total of 4,500 task forces for their dedicated efforts,” praised the Minister. According to Herrmann, the operational concept of the Munich police and the cooperation with the City of Munich proved to be excellent: “Thanks to the professional police work, the IAA went off without any major disturbances, both on the exhibition grounds and in the area of the Open Space. This enabled Munich, the Free State of Bavaria and our automotive industry to present themselves at their best to several hundred thousand visitors and to show ways towards a more environmentally friendly mobility of the future,” he said. +++

According to Herrmann, the Bavarian police nevertheless had their hands full. In addition to the numerous event and exhibition venues in the city area and the protection of high-ranking guests, this year’s IAA was again accompanied by several protests, mainly from the anti-capitalist and climate policy camps. According to Herrmann, most of the protests took place peacefully and without major incidents. The interior minister had already stressed in advance that all peaceful demonstrators were welcome. At the same time, however, he made it clear that the police would intervene consistently in the event of criminal offences or endangerment. The disturbances caused by a few chaotic people who, for example, symbolically occupied a vacant house by sitting in front of it and hoisting a banner on the roof of the house, were therefore quickly stopped.

“Especially the numerous blockade and sticking actions of the self-proclaimed ‘Last Generation’ in road traffic made a lot of work for the police and ultimately even harmed climate protection due to the traffic jams,” criticised the Minister of the Interior. “It was therefore necessary and right that we made use of preventive custody, especially in the case of repeat offenders,” Herrmann emphasised. During the IAA, up to 39 people were in long-term custody at the same time with judicial confirmation.