Berlin police arrest 390 during New Year festivities, 54 police hurt

Around 390 people were detained during festivities on Berlin streets on New Year's Eve, many due to dangerous use of fireworks that also caused harm to several police officers, according to the Berlin police on Monday.

A total of 54 police officers were injured, 30 of them by pyrotechnics. Eight of the injured police officers were unable to continue their duties, police spokeswoman Anja Dierschke said.

In all, 720 investigations have been launched had been opened into incidents throughout the city between 6 pm (1700 GMT) on New Year's Eve and 6 am on New Year's Day, Dierschke said.

However, overall, the police were satisfied with how they handled the evening after banning fireworks in certain streets and identifying areas of potential trouble proved effective, she said.

A significantly increased police presence in the city also led to more arrests, she said, noting more than 3,200 additional police officers were deployed on New Year's Eve, alongside 1,000 police officers in patrol cars.