My village (4,000 residents) has a little fest once a year....stretching from Friday night to Monday night. On a typical Friday and Saturday night, with decent weather....there might be well over 10,000 (a fair number from Wiesbaden come over) who hang out and attend. Food and drink are abundant, with two different venues offering musical entertainment, and a dozen 'rides' at one end for kids.
This year has one different setting. They brought in around a dozen one-meter by one-meter blocks to ensure terror car-attacks don't occur. You can go to the ends of this street fest, and one or two side streets being blocked with the 'welcome' blocks.
The thought of terror? Over the past five years, this little fear has crept into virtually every German's world. If you go into Wiesbaden for any significant fest.....streets are blocked with the heavy blocks or with garbage trucks. It's part of life now, you have to accept it.
Cops? Toward 9 PM, I noticed around six cops walking the beat on the fest. It used to be primarily to handle drunk juveniles. Now, it's mostly to reassure the public that they are armed, ready for action, and will put down terrorists if required.
The 'welcome' blocks? Same way. Simply to reassure the public that measures have been taken.
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