MUNICH (AP) — Security has tightened at Oktoberfest after a deadly knife attack last month in western Germany, and officials are warning revelers to expect longer lines to enter as metal detectors are deployed for the first time in the Bavarian beer festival’s 189-year history.
Authorities say there are no specific threats to the world's largest folk festival, which begins Saturday with the traditional keg-tapping in Munich and runs through Oct. 6. Some 6 million participants, many wearing traditional lederhosen and dirndl dresses, are expected over the course of the event.
The stepped-up security comes after an Aug. 23 attack in Solingen that left three dead and eight wounded. A 26-year-old Syrian suspect was arrested. He was an asylum-seeker who was supposed to be deported to Bulgaria last year but reportedly disappeared for a time and avoided deportation. The Islamic State militant group has claimed responsibility for the violence, without providing evidence.
The violence left Germany shaken and pushed immigration back to the top of the country’s political agenda. In response, the Interior Ministry extended temporary border controls to all nine of its frontiers this week. The controls are set to last six months and are threatening to test European unity.
The effects of the Solingen attack and other recent violence across Germany will also be felt at Oktoberfest. Hand-held metal detectors will be used for the first time, with police and security staff using them on a random basis or following suspicious activity.
“We have had to react to the fact that attacks with knives have increased in recent weeks and months,” Munich Mayor Dieter Reiter told The Associated Press during a media tour of the festival grounds to highlight the new security measures. “We will do everything we can to ensure that nobody comes to Oktoberfest with a knife or other dangerous weapons.”
In addition to some 600 police officers and 2,000 security staff, more than 50 cameras will be installed across the grounds of the festival, which will be fenced off as well. Festival goers also are prohibited from bringing knives, glass bottles and backpacks.
Oktoberfest is no stranger to increased security in the past. In 2016, authorities implemented tighter measures in response to a series of attacks, including when a German teenager fatally shot nine people at a Munich mall before killing himself.
Painful memories remain of a bomb attack at the Oktoberfest entrance on Sept. 26, 1980 that claimed 13 lives, including that of three children and the attacker, student Gundolf Koehler, a supporter of a banned far-right group. More than 200 people were wounded. An initial investigation concluded that Koehler acted alone. In 2014, federal prosecutors revisited the case after a previously unknown witness surfaced but could not corroborate indications there were co-conspirators.
Peter Neumann, a professor of security studies at King’s College London, said Oktoberfest officials are taking a sensible approach to security in light of Solingen, as well as other recent foiled plots across Europe. Extremists and groups like the Islamic State seek locations where an attack would garner international headlines and “cause a lot of terror,” he said.
French authorities say they thwarted three plots against the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris and other cities that hosted the summer events, which included plans to attack “ Israeli institutions or representatives of Israel in Paris.” And Austrian officials last month arrested a 19-year-old who had allegedly plotted to attack now-canceled Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna and kill tens of thousands of fans.
“These are all global events where you can expect to cause a lot of attention,” Neumann said.
Neumann said the Islamic State has been gaining momentum during the Israel-Hamas war.
The group referenced the war when it claimed responsibility for the Solingen violence, saying the attacker targeted Christians and that as a “soldier of the Islamic State” he carried out the assaults “to avenge Muslims in Palestine and everywhere.”
Oktoberfest is a difficult event for police to secure, though authorities say there haven't been any concrete threats to the festival.
“It’s an iconic event and this is exactly the kind of event that they’d want to strike,” Neumann said. “But with millions of people — drunk people to be honest — running around, it’s really difficult to control every movement.”
The festival's organizer, Clemens Baumgärtner, promised a safe public space, possibly "the safest place in Germany" during the 16 days of Oktoberfest.
A view of the new ride "Laser Pix", during a press tour at the Oktoberfest, in Munich, Germany, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024. (Lennart Preiss/dpa via AP)
Police officer patrol, during a press tour at the Oktoberfest, in Munich, Germany, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024. (Lennart Preiss/dpa via AP)
A brass band plays during a press tour at the Oktoberfest, in Munich, Germany, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024. (Lennart Preiss/dpa via AP)
Workers stand on a lifting platform during construction work on the Oktoberfest grounds at the main entrance, in Munich, Germany, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. (Peter Kneffel/dpa via AP)
Baltimore (0-2) at Dallas (1-1)
Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EDT, Fox.
BetMGM NFL Odds: Ravens by 1.
Against the spread: Ravens 0-2, Cowboys 1-1.
Series record: Ravens lead 5-1.
Last meeting: Ravens beat Cowboys 34-17 on Dec. 8, 2020, in Baltimore.
Last week: Ravens lost to Raiders 26-23; Cowboys lost to Saints 44-19.
Ravens offense: overall (1), rush (7), pass (4), scoring (14T)
Ravens defense: overall (15), rush (1), pass (32), scoring (28)
Cowboys offense: overall (17), rush (25), pass (9), scoring (7)
Cowboys defense: overall (19), rush (20), pass (16), scoring (30)
Turnover differential: Ravens even; Cowboys plus-1.
RB Derrick Henry is a power back facing an interior defensive front that's been a nagging weakness for the Cowboys for a long time. There is an injury issue for Dallas as well. Veteran DT Jordan Phillips went to injured reserve with a wrist problem, leading the Cowboys to reunite with Carlos Watkins this week. DT Mazi Smith missed practice to start the week because of a tight back. Henry had 84 yards and a TD in the loss to the Raiders, and Dallas allowed 190 yards rushing and four TDs in the loss to the Saints.
WR CeeDee Lamb is still looking for a breakout game coming off an All-Pro season that included eight 100-yard outings. The Ravens are giving up a league-worst 257 yards passing per game through two weeks. Lamb hasn't been completely bottled up, though. He had a big catch on an early touchdown drive in the Week 1 win at Cleveland. His 65-yard score after ducking out of a tackle briefly got Dallas back in last week's game against New Orleans. Lamb can become the sixth player in NFL history with at least one touchdown catch in nine consecutive regular-season home games.
Cowboys pass rusher Micah Parsons vs. Ravens QB Lamar Jackson. It's always intriguing when an elite speed rusher faces one of the league's best running quarterbacks. And this is the first time Parsons will see the reigning NFL MVP because the most recent meeting between the clubs was 2020, the year before Dallas drafted Parsons in the first round. Parsons is in rare company as an All-Pro selection in two of his first three seasons, and Jackson is a two-time MVP.
CB Nate Wiggins, the Ravens' rookie first-round draft pick, didn't practice to start the week after missing the loss to the Raiders because of a neck injury sustained in a car wreck. ... LB Adisa Isaac, a rookie third-round choice, could be in line for his NFL debut. Isaac missed the first two games with a hamstring issue. ... Cowboys TE Jake Ferguson appears set to return after missing a game with a knee injury. ... Lamb (ankle) and CB Trevon Diggs (foot) showed up on the injury report Wednesday, but coach Mike McCarthy there wasn't concern with either player. ... DT Mazi Smith left practice Wednesday when his back tightened up, and his status is in flux.
The only victory for the Cowboys in the series came during the remarkable rookie seasons for QB Dak Prescott and RB Ezekiel Elliott in 2016. Dallas won 11 consecutive games and was the top seed in the NFC when those two finished neck-and-neck in voting for AP Offensive Rookie of the Year (Prescott won). The 27-17 win over the Ravens at home was the ninth victory in that run. Prescott threw for 301 yards and three touchdowns and Elliott had 97 yards rushing. They have been reunited this season after Elliott spent last season in New England. He was let go in a cost-cutting move after the 2022 season.
The Ravens, who reached the AFC championship game last season, are 0-2 for the first time since 2015, when they lost their first three games and missed the playoffs. That was the middle of a stretch of Baltimore missing the playoffs four times in five seasons after winning a Super Bowl. ... The Cowboys have allowed 92 points in their past two home games — the loss to the Saints that ended a 16-game home winning streak in the regular season and a 48-32 wild-card defeat against Green Bay in January. The franchise worst is 93 points from consecutive home games in the winless (0-11-1) expansion season of 1960. ... Since 2021, the Cowboys are 12-2 coming off a loss. That .857 winning percentage is tied with Buffalo for the best in the NFL during that span. ... Jackson needs one more game of leading the Ravens in passing and rushing yards to tie Cam Newton for the NFL record at 40. ... TE Mark Andrews needs one TD receiving to tie TE Mark Heap for the most in franchise history at 41. ... LB Kyle Van Noy had two sacks against Las Vegas a week after fracturing an orbital bone against Kansas City. ... LB Odafe Oweh had a career-best 2 1/2 sacks against the Raiders. ... Prescott needs 69 yards passing to join Tony Romo and Troy Aikman as the only Dallas QBs to reach 30,000 yards. CB Trevon Diggs has one more chance to reach 20 interceptions in his first 50 games. Only three others since 1990 have done it — Marcus Peters, Richard Sherman and Pro Football Hall of Famer Ed Reed. ... Ravens K Justin Tucker needs one FG of at least 50 yards for 59 such kicks in his career, which would break a tie with Sebastian Janikowski at No. 2. Cowboys second-year K Brandon Aubrey is 13 of 13 for his career from at least 50. That's the most without a miss from 50-plus in league history.
This won't be the week to try to figure out how the Cowboys might use Elliott and Rico Dowdle. The run game was probably the top concern for Dallas coming into the season and hasn't had a chance to find a rhythm. Baltimore has the NFL's best rushing defense through two weeks.
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Las Vegas Raiders defensive tackle John Jenkins (95) tackles Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry (22) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (88) reacts in front of New Orleans Saints cornerback Alontae Taylor (1), cornerback Will Harris (5) and safety Tyrann Mathieu (32) while scoring on a long touchdown catch during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)
Dallas Cowboys' Micah Parsons celebrates as he walks off the field after the team's NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns in Cleveland, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/David Richard)
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) warms up before an NFL football game against the Las Vegas Raiders, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
