Security measures were heightened across Europe and beyond as Christians prepared to celebrate Christmas Eve in the shadow of terrorism.
The German capital Berlin was particularly on edge after last week’s truck attack.
Security was tight at many major European churches and cathedrals as worshippers gathered to celebrate mass on Christmas Eve.
In addition to heightened security across Germany, where last Monday’s attack in Berlin cast a long shadow over Christmas celebrations, other cities also beefed up security to ensure peaceful celebrations.
In France, 91,000 police, gendarmes and soldiers were deployed to guard public spaces including churches and markets.
Italian police were also out in force, with concrete barricades were erected around the historic Piazza del Duomo at Milan’s cathedral.
Meanwhile a spokesman for the Berlin police said that there would be an increased presence of both uniformed and plainclothes police officers on the streets of the German capital over the Christmas holidays as well.
Several hundred people attended Christmas Eve Mass at Berlin’s Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church – a mere stone’s throw away from the site of the Berlin Christmas market attack on December 19.
Tunisian asylum seeker Anis Amri reportedly driven a truck into the Christmas market that evening resulting in 12 casualties and almost 50 wounded.
The so-called “Islamic State” movement (IS) claimed responsibility for the attack, after Amri had pledged his allegiance to the head of the group, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. – DW.
