After the rampage in Leipzig, the German Association of Towns and Municipalities pointed out the conflict between security and openness in cities and emphasized that such acts can never be completely prevented despite security concepts.
"There are so-called access barriers, these are concrete blocks or similar obstacles that are designed to prevent such acts," says press spokesman Alexander Handschuh. However, despite security concepts in cities and municipalities and also at events, there will never be one hundred percent security. "We can't turn them into fortresses."
In places where large numbers of people often gather, urban planning is gradually being adapted to prevent acts like the one in Leipzig, says Handschuh, adding: "There is always a conflict of objectives between providing the best possible protection for people and at the same time maintaining the openness that we want to see in cities and communities."
On Monday, two people were killed and three others seriously injured in a rampage through Leipzig city centre. The exact number of people injured is still unclear, as is the motive. The 33-year-old German suspect was arrested immediately after the crime.
