German carnival drops Charlie Hebdo-inspired float after Paris attack
A German carnival has dropped plans to build a "Charlie Hebdo" float with a cartoonist forcing a pencil into the barrel of a terrorist's gun, after receiving messages from locals worried about safety if the float went on show.
Explaining its decision, the carnival committee in Cologne said they wanted to preserve the event's lighthearted mood in the west German city and make sure no one felt afraid -- even though they had been assured by police that displaying the figures would not pose a security risk.
"We want all visitors, locals and participants in Rose Monday's carnival parade to freely experience a joyful carnival without any worries. We don't want a satirical float, which weighs on the freedom and lighthearted mood of carnival," the organizers said in a statement on Thursday.
