Flowers, candles, hugs: after the attack on the Magdeburg Christmas market that left five dead and as many as 235 injured, there is no end to the sadness and compassion in the capital of the state of Saxony-Anhalt. Citizens also laid flowers at the central memorial of St. John’s Church on Christmas Eve; many had tears in their eyes.
Mourners also expressed their condolences with flowers and candles at the neighboring Old Market, which is part of the now closed Christmas market. “I couldn’t come here at first because it shocked me too much,” a pensioner told the German news agency. “But today I wanted to be here. It’s Christmas.”
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier called for solidarity in his Christmas speech. “Hate and violence should not have the last word. Let us not allow ourselves to be driven apart. Let us stand together,” Steinmeier said in the pre-published speech. Many people’s hearts will be heavy this Christmas. Many are upset and restless, perhaps even afraid. “All these feelings are understandable. But they must not dominate us and they must not paralyze us.”
The Magdeburg Theater wants to commemorate the victims with a concert on Boxing Day. 200 free cards will be distributed to those affected, relatives of the victims, rescue workers and first responders.
The perpetrator, Taleb A., who is now in custody, raced through the Christmas market in a car on Friday evening. The investigation into the motivation of the doctor, who is from Saudi Arabia and came to Germany in 2006, is still ongoing. Most recently, he has spoken out in increasingly confused and radical ways on social media. In a recent interview, the 50-year-old revealed that he is a fan of X owner Elon Musk and the AfD, which has the same goals as him but described himself as politically left.
Authorities in several states had to deal with Taleb A
Police officers continued their work at the crime scene on Tuesday. A spokeswoman for the Magdeburg police station said state police officers were at the scene to do “documentary work” as part of the investigation.
The German Federal Criminal Police and the Ministry of the Interior apparently want to present a chronology of the case about the perpetrator this year. The aim is to identify which authorities had which information about Taleb A. at what time and how this was followed up. Authorities in at least six states are said to have dealt with him.
Grüner locates “general knowledge deficit”
Greens deputy Konstantin von Notz criticized in the “Rheinische Post”: “There again seems to have been a general lack of knowledge and a problem in combining the different information regarding the perpetrator and the threat he posed.” Magdeburg reminds him of the attack on Breitscheidplatz in Berlin eight years ago.
Human chain and right-wing slogans
According to police, around 4,000 people in Magdeburg commemorated the victims of the attack on Monday evening with a human chain and took a stand against political appropriation by the right. At the same time, the AfD held a rally in the city, with approximately 3,500 people participating, according to police reports.
Regarding the perpetrator, party leader Alice Weidel said that anyone who despises the citizens of the country that grants them asylum “is not ours.” During the event, “Deport!” repeated again and again. Deport! Deport!” sang.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
