Oktoberfest tightens security in wake of deadly knife attack in western Germany

MUNICH (AP) — Security has tightened at Oktoberfest in the wake of last month’s deadly knife attack in Solingen in western Germany, and officials warned revelers to expect longer lines at entry points as metal detectors will be 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 closures 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, the German news agency dpa reported, with police and security staff using them on a random basis or following suspicious activity.

“Due to the current security situation, we will intensify controls again and I ask visitors to understand that this may lead to longer waiting times at the entry points,” Munich Mayor Dieter Reiter said in the wake of the Solingen attack. “But safety comes first.”

In addition to some 600 police officers and 2,000 security staff, more than 50 cameras will be spread 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 throughout its history. 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.

Stefanie Dazio, The Associated Press