Getty Images“I feel sick. I still feel that way,” Eidwigt said as she stood at a Christmas market near the scene of Friday’s out-of-control car crash that killed five people and injured more than 200.
“My granddaughter was here. She said something happened here, so I called her and she didn’t answer for two hours.”
There is deep sadness here and anger directed at the government and immigrants. “We can’t keep going like this,” Eidwigt said.
A 50-year-old Saudi refugee was arrested on suspicion of the attack, but the motive is unknown.
Officials said Taleb al-Abdelmohsen was an “atypical” attacker. Germany’s Christmas markets and festivals have come under attack in the past, mainly by radical Islamists.
He is said to be critical of Islam and has expressed support for the far-right Alternative for Germany party on social media, saying it is fighting against his own enemies “to protect Germany”. I praised him for being there.
The AfD has not commented on the posts, but the party is planning a memorial procession in Magdeburg later on Monday, with National Party leader Alice Weidel expected to attend.
The party currently enjoys strong support in opinion polls in the run-up to the February 23 federal election, particularly in the former East German state of Saxony-Anhalt.
The attack brought to the fore two major election issues: security and immigration, both of which have been highlighted by AfD statistics since the attack.
Despite the suspect’s many statements expressing hostility towards Islam, Martin Reichardt, leader of the AfD in Saxony-Anhalt, said in a statement that “the attack in Magdeburg was an attack on Germany’s political agenda with roots in another world.” “This shows that they have been drawn into religious fanaticism.” ”.
In a post on We must protect our people through restrictive immigration policies and consistent deportation.” ! ”
ReutersA counter-demonstration is also planned, with anti-racist groups in Magdeburg accusing the AfD of using the attack.
Miteinander eV’s David Begrich said people in the city needed a chance to catch their breath.
“There’s a huge fear in immigrant communities of being scapegoated,” he says. “We don’t want that. We want to organize solidarity across society, but at the same time we are sensitive to the voices of those who are currently reacting to fear and anxiety.”
Germans have questioned how the attack happened even though security had already been stepped up at the Christmas market and authorities were clearly searching for suspects several times in recent years.
One report against him in September 2023 appears to have failed, although the threats he posed were considered “not too specific,” according to one review.
In another apparent security flaw, the driver was able to drive through a gap left open for emergency access that should have been filled with a police van.
Christmas market vendors were allowed to return to throw away old food and remove equipment and stock.
No one I approached would speak to the BBC. It’s too graphic.
Hostility toward journalists has also increased in recent days, particularly after around 2,000 people took part in a far-right protest in Magdeburg on Saturday night.
The German Journalists Association said there had been attacks and threats against media outlets and called for stronger police protection.
A BBC team joined mourners gathered in Cathedral Square to livestream a tribute to the victims of the attack, and many people they spoke to said it was important to show solidarity in times of great suffering. That’s what he said.
But one woman issued a warning. “There are some Nazis here who don’t like journalists,” she says. “Please be careful.”
