On December 11, 2018, Cherif Chekatt, a repeat offender listed as S for Islamist radicalization, entered the historic center of Strasbourg during the traditional Christmas market. Armed with a knife and a revolver, the man wandered the streets, randomly killing five men and injuring eleven other people. Five years after this attack and following the raising of the attack alert throughout the national territory, the Christmas market in the Alsatian capital opened on November 24 under close surveillance
On the Saint-Thomas bridge, as at all access points to the Big Island, the historic center of Strasbourg where the Christmas market is held, bags and luggage are inspected by security agents, sometimes accompanied by police officers. A few steps away, in the very touristy district of Petite France, visitors wander from one chalet to another without difficulty, as Thierry observes, behind his gingerbread stand. “ The good thing is that the chalets were spaced out and spread out over different places. In addition, there are many more military patrols. So, I think they did their best to secure “.
Military numbers tripled
Military personnel have in fact been multiplied by three this year. In total, more than 1,000 state agents are mobilized daily to ensure the safety of visitors. Another new feature is that two drones constantly fly over the Big Island, as well as its access routes. A measure in addition to video surveillance. With the mission of detecting abnormal crowd movements more quickly and better coordinating the intervention of law enforcement on the ground.
Finally, for traders who wish it, the national police and the Bas-Rhin prefecture, in cooperation with the Alsace Chamber of Commerce and Industry, have set up the “Vigicommerces” system. Responsible for a chocolate shop located on rue des Orfèvres – one of the busiest during the holidays, but also the place where the first victims of the attack in 2018 fell – Alexandra describes to us how this new system works. “ We receive an SMS or WhatsApp message on our phone, our computer or the store’s tablet which alerts us immediately of any incident in Strasbourg. It could be an attack, a bomb threat, a person wandering around with a knife…”
“We want to continue living normally”
This system should in particular allow traders to protect their customers and employees in the event of danger. So many security measures that reassure traders and visitors. However, they remain doubtful about their real effectiveness on the busiest Christmas market in Europe. “ Having been to the Christmas market eight times since the beginning, my backpack was checked once even though it was quite bulky. I would have liked a little more security from that point of view. », says Rémi, a student from Strasbourg. “ There are really a lot of people, so I doubt that the police will be able to prevent anything, but I imagine that it allows them to intervene quickly if necessary… » adds Caroline, an American tourist. Despite everything, tourists are there, like Juan, who came from Spain with his family. “ We are aware that there is a risk of attack, but we want to continue to live normally, so we are here “, he said.
The first weekends of the Strasbourg Christmas market were also marked by high attendance. Three million visitors are expected until December 24, or 200,000 more than in 2022.