Police were called into action to respond to 70 breaches of the peace across the Grand Duchy on New Year’s Eve. In close to 40 of those cases, bangers and fireworks caused the alert, say authorities.
People disobeying municipal regulations on the use of fireworks faced fines of up to €145. However, only few such fines were awarded in the end since most people had disappeared by the time police came to check on a specific location. In other cases it was impossible to determine the exact origin of a banger.
Despite bans, some municipalities still experienced an elevated use of bangers and fireworks. According to CSV MP and Esch-sur-Alzette Mayor Georges Mischo, the amount has still been on decline ever since the first ban was introduced in 2017: “I am not naive as mayor to think that a ban will fully solve the issue, but it has become way less compared to when it was still allowed to use them.”
Local residents also confirmed that there has been less noise since the ban was introduced. Mayor Mischo elaborated that the ban further helps settle the question of responsibility in case the use of fireworks provokes a fire.
