Summary of New Year's Eve: 130 emergency calls, 60 police operations, and 48 emergencies for the ambulance service
Police, ambulance, and fire fighters started 2017 with a multitude of operations as celebrating crowds ran them off their feet.
Tens of thousands of revellers again attended the annual New Year's Eve fireworks display at the Rhine and the emergency services were busy with a series of unfortunate events: drunk partygoers, noise, arguments, and fights.
Within a few hours on either side of midnight, a total of 130 emergency calls had reached the police operation centre which resulted in 60 police operations. The ambulance service was called out 48 times.
Several foot and car police patrols were in operation on the streets of Basel as they stepped up security following last year's terrorist attacks on large crowds in France and Germany. Access to the city centre was limited by concrete blocks and the number of patrols was increased.
Shortly after 10pm, a number of people had formed an illegal protest march near the Kaserne. Around 50 people marched over Claraplatz towards the Hirscheneck restaurant. On the way there, loud firecrackers (petards) were launched, public transport was impeded, and graffiti was sprayed on a wall. The protest disbanded near Hirscheneck.
Ambulances were called when people needed help after overestimating their drinking abilities or by those involved in fights. In most cases drunk people had to be brought to hospital. The other emergency operations were medical-related.
Vice Club Basel: 500 people evacuated at 5am on Sunday morning
One woman was injured at a nightclub in Basel on New Year's Eve after a substance similar to teargas was used in the crowd.
Several police patrols were alerted after realising that many people were fleeing the Vice Club at Steinentorstrasse shortly after 5am on Sunday morning. Thanks to the immediate intervention of the police and security officers, the club, which had around 500 guests inside, could be evacuated before mass panic broke out.
According to investigations of the criminal police of the prosecution, a loud bang was heard on the second floor of the club. Unknown perpetrators had used a substance similar to tear gas. Several people were treated at the scene by ambulance crews for breathlessness, respiratory tract and eye irritations. The police also cared for the guests, offering blankets and the use of their vehicles due to the cold. A young woman had to be brought to the emergency unit of the hospital by the ambulance for a check up.
The exact causes of the events are yet unclear and are being investigated by the criminal police of the public prosecution.
42-year-old Basel man sentenced for Islamic propaganda
A 42-year-old man from Basel has been sentenced to a suspended jail sentence by the federal prosecution on charges of advertising Islamic propaganda. The man had advertised Islamic preachers and terror organisations on the Internet.
According to a report by «NZZ am Sonntag» the man is originally from Bosnia-Herzegovina and while there, became involved with Bosnian-salafistic violent extremism. The man had advertised radical preachers from his homeland between 2009 and 2014 as well as for terror organisations like IS and the Al-Nusra-Front.
He did that on a website which he partially financed via CDs and DVDs. In a house search by the Federal prosecution, 870 data mediums were found. This is according to the penalty order which has been distributed by the news agency, sda. In addition, the police found illegal pornographic material.
The penalty order consists of a suspended jail penalty of six months and a fine of 8000 Swiss francs. The sentence is legally binding. The Swiss citizen is said to have regretted his actions and have distanced himself from Islamic ideas, wrote the «NZZ am Sonntag», referring to his acquaintances.