Hundreds of people gathered at the site of the Magdeburg Christmas market attack to remember the victims and oppose the political use of it by the right-wing. At the same time, the leader of the far-right AfD, Alice Weidel, argued at a rally that anyone who despises the citizens of the country that granted him asylum “is not one of us.”
Three days after the attack in Magdeburg, hundreds of people again honored its victims. Those gathered held candles in their hands, applauded the rescuers and shouted “Thank you”. – These are lights for a cosmopolitan city – said Oliver Wiebe from the “Don't give hate a chance” initiative, supported by the diocese of Magdeburg – reported the dpa agency.
Those gathered also wanted to demonstrate their opposition to the instrumentalization of the attack by right-wing populists.
At the same time, the AfD organized a rally in Magdeburg. Its leader Alice Weidel said that after the time of mourning, it is time to come to terms with the past. Referring to the perpetrator, she said that anyone who despises the citizens of the country that granted him asylum “is not one of us,” dpa reported.
AfD leader Alice Weidel took part in a funeral march after the attack in MagdeburgFILIP SINGER/PAP/EPA
During the AfD event, people repeatedly chanted the slogan: “Deport! Deport! Deport!” Weidel said people ultimately want to live safely again. After her speech and a minute of silence, a march took place.
Attack in Magdeburg
On Friday evening, a car driven by 50-year-old Taleb Abdul Javad from Saudi Arabia drove at high speed into a crowd of people at a Christmas market in Magdeburg, eastern Germany.
Five people died in the attack: 9-year-old boy and four women aged 45 to 75, 200 people were injured. The perpetrator is currently in custody.
Fireman with candles and flowers in front of the church of St. John in MagdeburgEPA/PHILIP SINGER
The perpetrator's motive could have been dissatisfaction with the way refugees from Saudi Arabia are treated in Germany, Horst Walter Nopens, the chief prosecutor of Magdeburg, said on Saturday. As the German media wrote, Taleb Abdul Javad is a critic of Islam and a supporter of AfD.
Many German politicians appealed not to use the attack in Magdeburg for political purposes. The election campaign is underway in Germany. Early elections to the Bundestag will be held on February 23, 2025.
Main photo source: EPA/PHILIP SINGER