Vigils and memorials have taken place in the German city of Magdeburg and beyond following a car-ramming incident at a Christmas market that resulted in the deaths of five individuals, including a nine-year-old child.
A makeshift memorial was established by grieving families and local residents at a church that overlooks Magdeburg’s Christmas market, the site of the tragic event.
As the day progressed, political figures, including Chancellor Olaf Scholz, visited to lay flowers at the memorial created in response to the attack.
Over 200 individuals suffered injuries, with 41 people experiencing either serious or critical conditions.
“It is a horrific act to inflict such injuries and fatalities upon so many innocent people,” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz remarked when addressing the media at the market.
“We now understand that over 200 individuals have been hurt,” he continued.
“Almost 40 are in such a critical state that we must be deeply concerned for their well-being.”
Mr. Scholz assured that the state would address the attack “with the full force of the law.”
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier participated in a prayer ceremony at the Magdeburg Dom church.
Nonetheless, he emphasized the need for unity, as Germany finds itself embroiled in intense discussions on immigration and security in the lead-up to February elections.
It is crucial “that we stand together, that we link arms, and that hatred does not dictate our coexistence, but rather our community striving for a shared future,” he stated.
The chancellor traveled to Magdeburg to express his condolences and support to the victims of the tragic event.
Authorities have identified Taleb Jawad al-Abdulmohsen, a Saudi doctor known for his anti-Islam rhetoric, as the suspected driver in the incident.
The Friday evening assault on crowds gathered to celebrate the Christmas season could intensify an already heated debate in Germany regarding security and immigration, particularly with upcoming national elections in February, where polls suggest strong support for the far-right.
Authorities have indicated that the motive remains uncertain.
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However, Magdeburg prosecutor Horst Nopens suggested that one potential factor could be the suspect’s discontent with Germany’s treatment of Saudi refugees.
The suspect, a 50-year-old psychiatrist residing in Germany for nearly two decades, was apprehended at the scene after the three-minute assault that stunned the nation.
According to a city police official, the driver utilized emergency exit points to gradually maneuver the vehicle toward the market, before accelerating and crashing into the crowd.
A video shared on social media from an elevated position above the market depicts a car speeding through a crowd situated between two rows of market stalls.
Onlookers can be seen thrown to the ground and fleeing in panic.
Reuters confirmed the location, noting that the trees, boundaries, and architectural details matched archived and satellite images of the area.
Footage from a local news station captured individuals wrapped in blankets on the ground receiving medical assistance in the aftermath of the attack.
A source from Saudi Arabia informed Reuters that the kingdom had alerted German authorities about the attacker after he expressed extremist sentiments on his personal X account that threatened public safety.
Posts on the suspect’s X account, corroborated by Reuters, indicated his alignment with anti-Islam and far-right parties, including the Alternative for Germany (AfD), alongside criticism of Germany’s management of Saudi refugees.
In an unpublished interview with AFP in 2022 for an unrelated article, Taleb al-Abdulmohsen described himself as “a Saudi atheist.”
Flowers are laid at a makeshift memorial near the closed Christmas market the day after the terrorist attack that resulted in five fatalities in Magdeburg, Germany.
Minister highlights visible Islamophobia of the suspect
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser noted that the suspect’s Islamophobia was evident, though she refrained from commenting on the motive.
Germany’s FAZ newspaper reported having interviewed the suspect in 2019, characterizing him as an anti-Islam activist.
“Individuals like me, who have an Islamic background but no longer practice, encounter neither understanding nor tolerance from Muslims here,” he was quoted as saying.
“I am history’s most fervent critic of Islam. If you doubt it, ask the Arabs.”
Andrea Reis, who was present at the market during the incident, returned the next day with her daughter Julia to light a candle by the church overlooking the scene. She expressed that had it not been for a fleeting moment, they could have been in the car’s trajectory.
“I suggested, ‘Let’s go get a sausage,’ but my daughter insisted that we keep walking around. If we had stayed put, we would have been in the car’s path,” she recounted.
Tears streamed down her face as she described the chaos. “Children were screaming, crying for their mothers. It’s something you can never forget,” she reflected.
Read more: ‘Torn from my side’ – horror of German Christmas market attack. As it happened: German market attack
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The German Chancellor visited the attack site, accompanied by numerous national and regional officials.
They paid their respects by laying flowers outside the main church.
Mr. Scholz’s Social Democrats are trailing behind both the far-right AfD and the leading conservative opposition in opinion polls ahead of the snap elections scheduled for February 23.
The AfD has been vocal in calling for stricter immigration policies.
Its chancellor candidate Alice Weidel and co-leader Tino Chrupalla released a statement condemning the assault.
“The shocking attack on the Christmas market in Magdeburg during this peaceful pre-holiday period has left us shaken,” they stated.
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(Watch: Police examine Magdeburg Christmas market following the attack)
Expressions of sympathy
Taoiseach Simon Harris called the event “shocking and despicable.”
“Thinking of and praying for the victims, their families, and all those involved in the response,” Mr. Harris shared on X.
Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin expressed that he is “shocked and appalled” by the loss of life in Magdeburg, urging Irish citizens in the vicinity to heed local authorities’ guidance.
“My thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families, emergency services, and the German populace,” he stated.
US President Joe Biden joined other global leaders in extending condolences “to the people of Germany mourning the horrific attack.”
“No community – and no family – should have to endure such a heinous event, especially just days before a holiday of joy and peace,” he remarked.
French President Emmanuel Macron expressed that he was “profoundly shocked” by the attack and that he “shares the pain of the German public.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated he is “horrified” by the assault on the Christmas market.
In a statement, he remarked, “My thoughts are with the victims, their families, and all affected. We stand in solidarity with the people of Germany,” he added.
