German police order mall to stay closed after attack threat
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BERLIN -- Police ordered a shopping mall in the western German city of Essen not to open Saturday after receiving credible tips of an imminent attack.
The shopping center and the adjacent parking lot stayed closed as about 100 police officers -- many armed with machine pistols and bullet-proof vests -- positioned themselves around the compound to prevent anyone from entering the mall. Several officers scoured the interior to bring out early morning cleaning staff.
"As police, we are the security authority here and have decided to close the mall," police spokesman Christoph Wickhorst said, adding that they had been tipped off late Friday by other security agencies. He declined to provide further details, but police later said there had been concrete indications for an attack on Saturday.
