After Berlin, Europe beefs up security at Xmas markets

Security was beefed up at Christmas markets across Europe after a lorry ploughed through a market in Berlin killing 12 people and heightening security fears at the onset of the holiday season. President Francois Hollande said France was under a “high level of threat” following the events in Berlin but pointed out that the country […]

Security was beefed up at Christmas markets across Europe after a lorry ploughed through a market in Berlin killing 12 people and heightening security fears at the onset of the holiday season.
President Francois Hollande said France was under a “high level of threat” following the events in Berlin but pointed out that the country already has a large-scale security operation in place. Belgium, where many of the plots in Europe have originated, left its alert level at “possible or likely” attack.
In Britain, the central English city of Birmingham erected concrete blocks earlier this month around what it bills as the “largest authentic German Christmas market outside Germany or Austria”.
In Austria, a traditional home of the Christmas market, authorities said security would be stepped up around such sites.
Poland, where the truck used in the Berlin rampage began its journey before being apparently hijacked, said it would lay on more police patrols around sensitive sites such as stations and shopping centres.