Germany Day after death drive: Scholz and Faeser come to Magdeburg
Following the death drive through the Magdeburg Christmas market, Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser (both SPD) want to come to the state capital of Saxony-Anhalt today.
21.12.2024, 05:31
SDA
A memorial service is to be held in the cathedral in the evening. One day after the attack that left two people dead and dozens injured, many questions remain unanswered - above all the motives of the arrested suspect for the alleged attack. "We do not yet know the background to the crime, we are considering everything", said a police spokeswoman when asked.
According to the police, the investigating authorities are currently assuming a lone perpetrator. The 50-year-old from Saudi Arabia was confronted and arrested at the scene of the crime. The suspect is a doctor who lives and works in Bernburg, said Saxony-Anhalt Minister President Reiner Haseloff (CDU). According to previous findings, he was not known to the authorities as an Islamist. According to Haseloff, the perpetrator drove into the crowd at the Christmas market in a rented car. According to the newspaper "Bild", citing the police, the journey on the site extended over 400 meters.
Haseloff: Chancellor will assess the situation
Haseloff said in the evening: "The Chancellor will come by tomorrow and assess the situation here with us and will certainly not only mourn with us, but also discuss the measures that are necessary." Federal Minister of the Interior Faeser announced that she would be coming to Magdeburg today with Scholz "to express our deepest sympathy and to thank the emergency services." Faeser had recently repeatedly called for vigilance when visiting Christmas markets. She had said at the end of November that there were currently no specific indications of danger.
Lord Mayor in tears
The attack - almost eight years to the day after the attack on the Christmas market at Berlin's Memorial Church - claimed the lives of an adult and a small child. According to the police, more than 60 people were injured, including several seriously. Haseloff said that further fatalities could not be ruled out. "This is a catastrophe for the city of Magdeburg, for the state and for Germany in general," said the Minister President.
A memorial service for the victims is to be held in Magdeburg Cathedral in the evening. We want to give those affected, relatives and all other citizens an opportunity to mourn, Mayor Simone Borris told journalists in tears that evening. "We will need a long time to mourn", she said, visibly stunned. "We will deal with all of this comprehensively." City spokesman Michael Reif said it was "an attack".
Scholz: thoughts are with the victims
Chancellor Scholz wrote on Platform X: "My thoughts are with the victims and their families. We are at their side and at the side of the people of Magdeburg. My thanks go to the dedicated rescue workers in these anxious hours." Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck (Greens) also expressed his horror and spoke of a cowardly attack. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier thanked the rescue workers and wrote: "The anticipation of a peaceful Christmas was abruptly interrupted by the news from Magdeburg."
Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte contacted Chancellor Scholz and expressed his sympathy. "My thoughts are with the victims and their families," wrote Rutte on Platform X. "Nato stands by Germany." The United Nations also expressed its condolences. They are shocked, said Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen condemned the attack. "My thoughts are with the victims of the brutal and cowardly act in Magdeburg today," she wrote on Platform X.
French President Emmanuel Macron wrote on X that France shares the pain of the German people. He said he was deeply shocked by "the horror" that had befallen the Christmas market. The USA assured him of its solidarity. The US is ready to provide support, according to US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller. The designated US Vice President J.D. Vance also expressed his shock at X: "What an appalling attack so close to Christmas."
Saudi Arabia also condemned the deadly attack. "The Kingdom expresses its solidarity with the German people and the families of the victims," the Foreign Ministry wrote in a statement on X. In the statement, the country did not mention the suspect, who is from Saudi Arabia.
Video purports to show arrest of suspect
A dpa reporter reported shortly after the crime that the Christmas market was teeming with ambulances and paramedics. Injured people were being treated at a large Christmas pyramid. Several injured people were carried away.
A cell phone video is said to show the arrest of the suspect. In the clip, a police officer can be seen pointing his gun at the suspect and shouting at him to lie down: "Put your hands behind your back!" and "Stay down!" The man lies down on the ground next to a black - visibly damaged - car and follows the instructions. Finally, reinforcements arrive, several police officers jump out of the patrol car and circle the suspect lying on the ground. The policeman tells his colleagues "not to get so close".
Around eight years after the Berlin Christmas market attack
Almost eight years ago to the day, on December 19, 2016, an Islamist terrorist drove a hijacked truck into the Christmas market on Breitscheidplatz in Berlin. Twelve people were killed, the 13th victim died as a result in 2021. More than 70 people were injured. The attacker fled to Italy, where he was shot dead by the police.
Police in other cities with Christmas markets are now also being particularly vigilant. In Stuttgart, a police spokesman said that police forces had been sensitized on the ground. In Berlin, a spokesperson said that officers had been called upon to pay increased attention to Christmas markets.
