On a Friday evening, a man drove into Magdeburg’s busy Christmas market, killing four women and a 9-year-old. 200 attendees were injured, 41 of those were severely injured. This attack not only shook Magdeburg, but the whole of Germany, leaving a feeling of fear.
According to eyewitnesses, the car drove through the street full of people at high speed at around 7 o’clock in the evening. Even though measures had been taken to prevent attacks using concrete barriers, the gap meant for emergency access allowed the car to get in.[1] The suspect surrendered and was quickly arrested. A similar attack took place eight years before in Berlin, where at least 12 people died and 50 were injured.[2]
A damaged car sits with its doors open after a driver plowed into a busy Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, early Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (Hendrik Schmidt/dpa via AP) <https://apnews.com/article/germany-christmas-market-attack-magdeburg-32ec923f21cccb2a34e287da42ced921>
On Sunday, the market was reopened, yet fear lingered amongst the attendees. At a makeshift memorial, people leave candles and flowers to mourn the losses.
Before Police could publicly name the suspect, numerous media and news outlets have pinned down the suspect. 50-year-old Taleb A. is a Saudi psychiatrist who arrived in Germany in 2006 and received permanent residency. He is currently being investigated for five counts of suspected murder as well as 205 counts of suspected attempted murder.
According to the social media platform X, Talib A., who describes himself as a former Muslim, was active in publishing anti-Islam tweets and calling out the German government for not acting “correctly” against what he calls the ‘Islamification of Europe’.[3] He furthermore expressed ardent support for the far-right and anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. Frustration about the manner in which Germany deals with Saudi refugees is suspected to be his motivation, but this is still being investigated. His Islamophobic views are not enough to determine the stimulus for the attack.
The Christmas market, where a car drove into a crowd on Friday evening, in Magdeburg, Germany, is empty on Saturday evening , Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Probst) <https://apnews.com/article/germany-christmas-market-attack-magdeburg-c28c6ed42c7d1692798a28d2aba47514>
Some German medias communicated that Talib A. announced on X that he thought the German government plans to make Europe « more Islamic », that he expected to die in 2024, and that he threatened to kill 20 Germans. These posts are now deleted.
AfD members protested in Magdeburg on Monday Morning. ‘Deportation’ was a word continuously heard at the protest,[4] but there were counterprotests as well. This group chanted ‘Don’t give hate a chance / Don’t give Fascism a chance’ [translated from German].
Now, German security as well as German security measures are being questioned. Last year, Saudi authorities warned Germany about Talib A. and requested his extradition. These warnings were not deemed as severe enough. However, a warning by a private citizen to Germany’s Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) was taken seriously, according to BAMF.[5]
Citizens are criticising the way German politicians and media describe the attack, specifically surrounding the suspect.
Tarek Baé, a journalist and author from Berlin, posted on X:
Source: Tarek Baé, @Tarek_Bae, 21 December 2024 (tweet), X
Baé openly disagrees with the fact that media outlets have disclosed Taleb A.’s full name. He refers to this act as showing ‘unfiltered propaganda-channels’ and calls it ‘unprofessional’.
Sources
Baé, Tarek, @Tarek_Bae, 21 December 2024 (tweet), X
https://apnews.com/general-news-802641a0498f41f3992874934cba4852
https://www.zdf.de/nachrichten/politik/deutschland/magdeburg-anschlag-weihnachtsmarkt-100.html
https://www.dw.com/en/security-questions-over-christmas-market-attack-in-magdeburg/a-71138203
[5] https://www.dw.com/en/security-questions-over-christmas-market-attack-in-magdeburg/a-71138203
[4] https://www.zdf.de/nachrichten/politik/deutschland/magdeburg-anschlag-weihnachtsmarkt-100.html
[3] https://apnews.com/article/germany-christmas-market-attack-magdeburg-32ec923f21cccb2a34e287da42ced921
[4] https://apnews.com/article/germany-christmas-market-attack-magdeburg-c28c6ed42c7d1692798a28d2aba47514
[2] https://apnews.com/general-news-802641a0498f41f3992874934cba4852
[1]https://apnews.com/article/germany-christmas-market-attack-magdeburg-c28c6ed42c7d1692798a28d2aba47514