Conservative state premiers rally behind Merz

The German government has agreed on a 10-point security package in response to the terror attack on Berlin’s Christopher Street Day (CSD), the city’s version of Pride, in July.

The Cabinet approved the measures less than two months after a man drove a car into a crowd near Berlin’s Tiergarten just after the CSD parade, killing one person and injuring 31 others.

The package includes greater use of electronic ankle monitors for people considered security threats, tougher penalties for knife attacks and expanded powers to retain IP addresses and other communications data.

Under the plan, authorities would make greater use of electronic ankle monitors to track people classified as potential security threats.

Knife attacks would also be upgraded under the German Criminal Code from an offense to a crime carrying a minimum prison sentence of one year. Currently, such attacks are generally treated as lesser offenses unless they result in serious bodily injury.

The government also wants to expand the storage of IP addresses and retention of communications data to help investigators pursue crimes committed or organized online.

What happened at Berlin Pride?

On July 25, a car drove into a crowd near the Tiergarten following Berlin’s CSD parade, killing one person and injuring 31, some seriously.

The driver was later shot dead during a police operation.

Authorities said he had previously made several attempts to travel abroad to join the “Islamic State” (IS) militant group.

Despite an earlier conviction for preparing a serious act of violence endangering the state, he had been released under a court-ordered probationary arrangement and was supposed to take part in a deradicalization program.

The deadly attack took place just weeks later.