Thousands Gather in Magdeburg for Memorial to Victims of Car Attack

December 23, 2024

By Adedoja Adesoji

Vigils and memorials have been held in the German city of Magdeburg and further afield after a car-ramming attack at a Christmas market killed five people including a nine-year-old child.

A memorial service was held for the victims of the Magdeburg Christmas market attack, where a man deliberately rammed his car through the crowd, killing five people and injuring 200, including a young child. The service was held at Magdeburg Cathedral, attended by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Chancellor Olaf Scholz, along with approximately a thousand people, including first responders, victims’ families, and residents.

Outside the cathedral, crowds gathered to mourn, laying flowers, teddy bears, and participating in a candlelight vigil. The service was also broadcast on large screens outside the cathedral for those unable to attend.

Earlier on Saturday, a spontaneous memorial was set up by grieving families and locals at a church overlooking Magdeburg’s Christmas market. Over time, however, the memorial took on a more politically charged atmosphere.

The shift in tone at the scene of Friday’s attack reflected the political tensions in Germany, a country already divided over immigration issues and the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

Authorities have arrested a Saudi man with a history of anti-Islamic views, but they have not yet determined the motives behind the attack.

Although the suspect’s name has been reported in German media, the police have yet to officially release it. It later emerged that the suspect, a psychiatrist who had lived in Germany for 18 years, had previously posted anti-Islamic content online and expressed support for far-right ideologies. This led to a response from the far-right.

Martin Sellner, an Austrian figure popular among Germany’s far-right, claimed on social media that the suspect’s motives were “complex,” stating that while the suspect “hated Islam, he hated the Germans more.”

As the day went on, politicians, including Chancellor Olaf Scholz, visited the memorial to lay flowers in honor of the victims.