Oktoberfest Bust; Terror Fears Cut Attendance

Oct. 5, 2009— -- A slew of terror threats from al Qaeda and other militant Islamist groups apparently spooked Oktoberfest celebrants this year as attendance dropped to its lowest since 2001 at Germany's annual brew-fest, where millions of locals and tourists gather each year to drink beer and enjoy southern German hospitality.

One of the videos released during the first week of Oktoberfest included pictures of the festival and threatened attacks on Germany in revenge for its military presence in Afghanistan.

The festival usually draws six million people, but this year numbers were down to 5.7 million, according to Gabriele Weishaeupl, chairperson of Oktoberfest.

Weishaeupl said 3.3 million visitors in the first week dwindled to about 2.4 million the second week, as the threats kept coming. She added that the economic crisis also contributed to the low numbers of revelers.

Heightened security at the Oktoberfest included bag checks, increased video surveillance and hundreds of additional police officers.

The usual 300 additional officers for Oktoberfest skyrocketed to 900 in Munich, according to Munich's police department spokesman Wolfgang Wenger.