A spontaneous memorial established by grieving families and local residents at a church overlooking Magdeburg’s Christmas market transformed into a politically charged gathering on Saturday, following a tragic car-ramming attack that resulted in five deaths and over 200 injuries.
The evolving atmosphere at the memorial reflects the heightened political tensions in Germany, particularly surrounding immigration issues and the growing influence of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. Authorities apprehended a Saudi man with a history of anti-Islamic rhetoric, though the motives behind the attack remain unclear.
Initially, the site was filled with sorrow as people laid flowers outside the church early in the morning. Andrea Reis, 57, and her daughter Julia, 34, shared their close call with the incident, revealing they avoided being in the car’s path due to Julia’s preference to continue walking around the market rather than stopping for food. “The terrible sounds of children crying for their parents and calling for help are haunting me now,” Reis said, tears streaming down her face.
As the day progressed, public sentiment shifted. Many initially drew comparisons between this incident and the 2016 Berlin Christmas market attack, which was carried out by an Islamist-influenced immigrant. However, it later surfaced that the suspect, a psychiatrist who had lived in Germany for 18 years, criticized Islam and sympathized with far-right views on social media. This prompted reaction from far-right figures, with Martin Sellner, an influential Austrian right-wing figure, suggesting that the suspect’s motives were complex, stating he “hated Islam, but he hated the Germans more.”
Politicians, including Chancellor Olaf Scholz, visited the memorial to pay their respects as time went on. However, when Tino Chrupalla, co-leader of the AfD, arrived, the crowd was composed mainly of young people responding to calls from the party’s youth wing on social media to participate in a vigil. The AfD, which has seen rising support in eastern Germany, recently finished strong in three regional elections this autumn and is preparing for upcoming national elections in February.
Many attendees were adorned with symbols linked to neopaganism and other mystical movements associated with the far-right. One young man from the AfD’s youth wing wore an amulet resembling the hammer of the Norse god Thor and identified himself as a follower of the “old gods.”
Interior Minister Nancy Faeser expressed concern that the incident could be exploited by far-right groups, noting, however, that there is little that can be done to prevent seemingly coordinated gatherings. “We have freedom of assembly in this country,” she stated while visiting the scene. “We must ensure that the attack is not misused by either side.”
Credit: Reuters
