Overview
- The Senate’s order locks all 16 entrances daily from 22:00 in winter and 23:00 in summer, with exits only through turnstiles and a private security contractor responsible for closing and night patrols.
- Police say the policy targets open dealing by removing nighttime hideouts and easing prosecutions, complementing patrol support around the park during closure hours.
- Several hundred people demonstrated on the first night, including a 'Rave against the Zaun' event, as about 200 officers managed a largely calm dispersal; one outlet reported a single arrest around 23:00.
- Days around the rollout saw sabotage of gates and fittings, including a severed mounting bolt and glued locks, while on-the-ground reporting flagged gaps and weak points in some new barriers.
- Opponents plan court challenges and the Green-led district is appealing a shift in oversight, as a commissioned scientific evaluation is set to measure crime reduction versus displacement by year’s end.