If something sparkles in the night sky, it should only be the stars. After new legislation has been adopted, it’s only legal to set off #fireworks on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day in #Denmark

But this is far from being followed, according to several police districts. And it’s causing great distress, especially for dog owners. Also #zookeepers are alert, as they're doing their best to make sure the #animals feel safe in #Copenhagen Zoo.

Furthermore, warnings of stormy weather tighten the rules for fireworks, with citizens now being told to double their distance from the rockets.
SHOTLIST
+++ 00.00 - 01.33 filmed on 30 December +++

+++ 01.33 - 03.39 filmed on 29 December +++

- VS Animals in Copenhagen zoo

- SOUNDBITE (#Danish) Martin Lindberg, Meteorologist at Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI): “We are getting hard wind from the south-west. There will be wind gusts up to #storm strength in most of the country. I am counting on between 18 and 23 meters per second. And a storm is 24,5 meters per second.”

- SOUNDBITE (Danish) Merete Glise, Dog owner: “Carlo, it’s alright.”

- SOUNDBITE (Danish) Merete Glise, Dog owner: “Now it’s coming again (the noise). It’s alright, Carlo.”

- SOUNDBITE (Danish) Merete Glise, Dog owner: “Then he just wants to go inside or home.”

- SOUNDBITE (Danish) Merete Glise, Dog owner: “So mean (the people setting off fireworks before it’s legal)”

- MS Merete Glise opening the door an letting the dog in

- SOUNDBITE (Danish) Merete Glise, Dog owner: “Now there’s been 5 or 10 of them.”

- Q: "Is that normal?”

SOUNDBITE (Danish) Merete Glise, dog owner: “Yes, it's very normal. And it's the whole evening, but also in the afternoon.”

- MS Merete Glise walking

- VS Christian Bertelsen

- SOUNDBITE (Danish) Christian Bertelsen, Police assistant at the Kingdom Police (Rigspolitiet): “There are of course some who have not fully realized that the rules have changed. There are some who have realized it, but still hold on to it until the 31st. But we see that there are some fireworks being set off outside the period, which is not allowed. But it is very, very difficult to say anything about how this legislation works right now.”

- WS Aarhus, Jutland

- SOUNDBITE (Danish) Simon Boye Lassen, DR Reporter: “It has not taken many minutes for us to find examples of firecrackers that have been fired before it is legal.”

- SOUNDBITE (Danish) Simon Boye Lassen, DR Reporter (partly overlaid with shots of firecrackers): “We have found another school this time in the southwest of Aarhus. And again there are examples of firecrackers that have been fired illegally. Among other things, you can see a battery here.”

- SOUNDBITE (Danish) Simon Boye Lassen, DR Reporter (partly overlaid with shots of firecrackers): “Third school and third example that there are some who do not comply with these new firecrackers rules.”

- SOUNDBITE (Danish) Michael Frederiksen, Influencer: “I don’t really care that people are setting off fireworks, as long as they do it where there are no children or other people.”

- GVs Boy at school #basketball court

- VS Fireworks shop

- SOUNDBITE (Danish) Jes Graasbøll, Owner of Saturn Fireworks: “Many years ago, we were allowed to start firing from the 1st of December. I think it’s disappointing, that the state feel the need to limit this.”

- VS Legal fireworks, as they are lighted by professionals

- SOUNDBITE (Danish) Merete Glise, Dog owner: “It was super beautiful. But why is it not professionals that are in charge of all the fireworks on New Year's Eve, for all of us to enjoy, and then that’s it?

свернуть