Germany - Car Plows into Christmas Market in Magdeburg, Multiple Dead/Injured

[Chimera]

Saudi doctor ID’d as driver who crashed into Christmas market in suspected terror attack, killing 2 and injuring dozens

A young child is among the dead.

nypost.com

At least 2 dead, including child, dozens injured when driver plows into German Christmas market in suspected terror attack​

The suspect — who has not yet been identified — was not previously on law enforcement’s radar as a known Islamist, security sources told dpa.
Rbm
That could change.

So possibly up until now he was a law-abiding person and someone who did not stand out to the police ?
Wonder if he was radicalized recently ?

What a terrible act to commit for a person who has trained to save lives.

May the deceased rest in peace and condolences to their loved ones.
Two deaths are bad, even one is unthinkable for people who were no threat to the perp.
And what about the injured ?
For those who survive, they may never be the same.
Omo.

 

[Lusitana]

Sorry @MassGuy I didn’t see your thread so created one - they’ve been merged now.

This is why I’ll never go to Christmas markets anymore (I haven’t for about 5 years) in the world we live in today I just don’t feel they are safe.

My thoughts are with the deceased families and my prayers are with those injured

I was at La Rambla after the 2017 attack and I couldn't help but feeling really uneasy.

 

[Chimera]

Two killed and scores injured in Germany as car ploughs into crowd at Christmas market

Dark BMW reportedly drove into crowd in eastern German town of Magdeburg in what is being described as a terror attack

www.theguardian.com

Scores of people were injured and at least two people, including a small child, were killed on Friday after a car ploughed into a crowd of people at a Christmas market in the eastern German town of Magdeburg, in what local officials are describing as a terror attack.
At least 68 other people were injured, including 15 in a critical state, according to the city government’s website.
Rbm.

The suspect may have given a statement to the LE who apprehended him as to his motive, hence the terror charges ?

He would not necessarily have to have an Islamist background to have been recently radicalized.

Also from the article :

The driver of the car was immediately arrested, and later identified as Taleb A., a 50-year-old medical doctor from Saudi Arabia. Reiner Haseloff, the president of the state of Saxony-Anhalt, said the man had been living in Germany since 2006. The suspect, a consultant for psychiatry and psychotherapy, was recognized as a refugee in 2016.

What a way to treat people, who have welcomed you into their country, regardless of your belief system.
Horrendous and utterly despicable.
Imo.

 

[Dotta]

"The German newspaper 'Mitteldeutsche Zeitung' reports that the person suspected of committing the attack came from Bernburg.

It is a town located approximately 45 km south of Magdeburg.

According to the newspaper's findings,
heavily armed policemen entered one of the houses in this city late in the evening.
When asked about this, the police did not want to confirm whether it was related to the attack in Magdeburg."

Zamach na jarmarku świątecznym w Niemczech. Pojawiają się pierwsze informacje o sprawcy [RELACJA NA ŻYWO]

W piątek wieczorem na jarmarku świątecznym w Magdeburgu doszło do zamachu. Kierowca wjechał w grupę ludzi. Krótko po zdarzeniu został zatrzymany przez służby. Premier Saksonii poinformował, że aresztowaną osobą jest 50-letni mężczyzna z Arabii Saudyjskiej. Do Niemiec miał przyjechać w 2006 r. i...

wiadomosci.onet.pl

 

[seasideForest]

Too many of these attacks, they seem to happen on an almost annual basis, surely it is time authorities put up concrete bollards in areas where markets are taking place with not enough gaps to fit a car through or hold them in sports stadiums/arenas etc where a car could not make a difference

tbh I don't see these types of measurements as likely in the near future. I live in Germany, have lived here for years. The Christmas market in my town takes place right in the historic centre, around the oldest church, where the rest of the year the normal Farmer's Market takes place. Any bollards there to prevent terrorist attacks would also prevent the farmers driving their trailers with their market stalls onto the square, twice a week. Not going to happen. My town will not be a huge exception. I see more concrete bollards in various places than I used to, but they're also partially used for totally unrelated purposes.

As for sports stadiums, arenas etc - this just doesn't fit with the traditional ambience of a German Christmas market, especially since it's a country without shopping malls all over the place and large urban sprawl, the way you have in parts of North America. People still walk to the Christmas market, there are still people who live in the centres of these towns, possibly right next to the market, I used to myself.

I wandered through a large Christmas Market today and didn't feel threatened in anyway, nor did I notice anybody talking about the attack in Magdeburg, tho it might not have been in the news yet. But I can guarantee that max 1% of visitors to our local Farmer's Market will be worried about lack of bollards tomorrow morning. Among the Germans I mix with, this isn't something we feel threatened by, in fact I'm more likely to die in a normal traffic accident as a cyclist or pedestrian. We think there is a lot more crazy going on in the US (quite a few different examples available) without a significant change appearing to be desired, though we'd think changes should be instigated ASAP. So, different culture, different ideas and different perceived risks.

MOO - I can't speak for everybody in Germany, but I can certainly speak for some.

 

[seasideForest]

A regular occurence in Europe now sadly, all these attacks do is drive people to voting for extremist parties, either Islamic terrorism or false flag to boost the far right

Fortunately not all Europeans are driven to vote for extremist parties, tho obviously some are. In Germany there are fortunately still people who are educated enough in politics and history to know what world-wide devastation can occur when extremist parties are voted in...
MOO

RIP to the victims and full recovery wished for the injured

Yes this ^^

 

[PrairieWind]

Fortunately not all Europeans are driven to vote for extremist parties, tho obviously some are. In Germany there are fortunately still people who are educated enough in politics and history to know what world-wide devastation can occur when extremist parties are voted in...
MOO

Yes this ^^

Unfortunately, there are still many that will continue to create an environment and conditions that leads to the desire to move to extremist parties.

 

[Chimera]

'Saudi suspect arrested after driving through German Xmas market

This is the moment a Saudi doctor who ploughed into a massive crowd at a German Christmas market, killing at least two and injuring nearly 70, was arrested.

www.dailymail.co.uk

German broadcaster MDR reported that a suspected explosive device is currently sitting in the vehicle.

Thank goodness that explosive device didn't detonate !
All of those police around the vehicle and maybe the person filming this might have died.

Imo, the perp didn't just wake up this morning and decide to kill as many as possible.
This was premeditated.
Omo.

 

[Missing Susan]

Fortunately not all Europeans are driven to vote for extremist parties, tho obviously some are. In Germany there are fortunately still people who are educated enough in politics and history to know what world-wide devastation can occur when extremist parties are voted in...
MOO

Yes this ^^

Are these same Germans educated enough in politics and history to know what local devastation can occur when extremist parties are welcomed in?

 

[seasideForest]

Unfortunately, there are still many that will continue to create an environment and conditions that leads to the desire to move to extremist parties.

Seems a matter of opinion - all, some, many. Who knows? I don't have the exact statistics for Germany. My post was a response to the idea that these attacks drive people to vote for extremist parties. And I'm just saying - they don't drive all people in Germany. There are people here who learned some lessons after The Third Reich, whether they were alive at that time or are descendants of people who were. Or even came to Germany later, so are of non-German heritage, like me.

As for the desire to move to extremist parties - that seems pretty wide-spread globally atm. That doesn't mean Germany gets to sit on their laurels and twiddle their thumbs but the country and current German society is not as at risk as is perceived in certain other countries, who could do with a little introspection into the shadey parts of their own histories too imho.

MOO JMO

 

[seasideForest]

Are these same Germans educated enough in politics and history to know what local devastation can occur when extremist parties are welcomed in?

Sorry, I can't give you a yes-no answer on that. It's a bit more complex. Also likely to go off topic and be removed. Maybe my response above to Prairie Wind would answer some of your question.

 

[Chimera]

Syrian man arrested over deadly knife attack in Germany; Islamic State group claims responsibility

The attack occurred Friday night during a festival commemorating the 650th anniversary of the city of Solingen.

www.nbcnews.com

In the Essen area, memories are especially raw of what happened just up the road in Solingen less than four months ago. The town was celebrating a late-summer 'festival of diversity' when a 26-year-old Syrian man – already in breach of a deportation order having lost his asylum appeal – went berserk with a knife.
Both attacks, it transpired, were linked to the terror group Islamic State. Then, three weeks ago, police thwarted a plot by a 37-year-old Iraqi asylum-seeker to drive a vehicle packed with explosives into a Christmas market in Augsburg.
And that was all before tonight.
Rbm.
Bolded is referring to today's vehicular attack, and not the knife attack.

Suspect arrested in German stabbing attack that killed 3; Islamic State takes credit

German police early Sunday detained a suspect in the Solingen knife attack that killed three people and wounded eight others, the state internal affairs minister of North Rhein Westphalia said.

www.nbcphiladelphia.com

From the link, it sounds like there have been attempts to place concrete barriers to outdoor festivities in Germany ?

Visit any major square in Germany right now and it's not hard to spot the giant concrete anti-truck defenses, despite feeble attempts to disguise them with Christmas wrapping.

Sadly it looks like today's perp was able to evade them.

I don't think the citizens of Germany should have to halt all festivities, but there needs to be more solid protection for them.
Anticipate there could be another terrorist attack, and plan accordingly.
My .02 is that these attacks are not going to stop soon.
Omo.

 

[ZaZara]

Anschlag auf Weihnachtsmarkt: Arzt, Islamgegner, seit 2006 in Deutschland – Das wissen wir über den Attentäter von Magdeburg - WELT

According to ‘Spiegel’, the man is a specialist in psychiatry and psychotherapy named Taleb A., who was born in 1974 and was recognised as a refugee in 2016. WELT found a profile of Taleb Al Abdulmohsen on social media to which all of the above information applies.
The Frankfurter Rundschau reported on this man in March 2019. The article states: ‘Taleb al-Abdulmohsen has been living in Germany since 2006. He came to Germany as a visiting doctor training to become a psychotherapist and later applied for asylum here because he had been threatened with death for renouncing Islam. The 44-year-old is recognised as a political refugee.’

The man appears on X [Twitter] as an ex-Muslim critic of Islam. On Friday evening, he posted several videos there in which he says in English: ‘I hold the German nation responsible for the killing of Socrates.’ And: ‘Another reason why I blame the German citizens for the persecution I experience in Germany is the story of a stolen USB stick from my mailbox.’ He later says in the video: ‘The government are criminals instead of protecting me. The police are the criminals. In this case, I blame the German nation and the German citizens.’

The man's profile text reads in English: ‘Germany hunts Saudi asylum seekers inside and outside Germany to destroy their lives’. And: ‘Germany wants to Islamise Europe’. His cover picture shows a rifle.

In June this year, the account had posted in German: ‘In my experience, the German police is the real driver of Islamism in Germany. My experience is 7 years of the police using dirty tactics against me and other critics of Islam to destroy our anti-Islamic activism, most recently in March 2024. The left are crazy. We need AFD to protect the police from them.’

(...)

The name of the perpetrator has not yet been officially announced.
The perpetrator's motive is still unclear.

BBM



A mad psychiatrist?

 

[ZaZara]

I am reading some very interesting comments on twitter [X] from German people who claim to have known him personally. If this man is indeed the perpetrator, the inspiration for his actions would be political, not islamist.
Other than that, I notice a lot of confusion and doubts if the man was for real. Some call him a spy of sorts, but others say that he was trying to protect refugees and failed thanks to the system.

Apparently Saudi Arabia demanded his extradition, which Germany refused.

 

[Chimera]

I am reading some very interesting comments on twitter [X] from German people who claim to have known him personally. If this man is indeed the perpetrator, the inspiration for his actions would be political, not islamist.
Other than that, I notice a lot of confusion and doubts if the man was for real. Some call him a spy of sorts, but others say that he was trying to protect refugees and failed thanks to the system.

Apparently Saudi Arabia demanded his extradition, which Germany refused.

Rbm.
Hmm.
So he did this to the country that was protecting him ??
Agreed re. this crime has a political slant.
Still, terror is terror.
Omo.

 

[SouthAussie]

Updates:

15 of the 68 injured are in critical condition. (And, as we know, a small child and another person are deceased.)

The perp rented the car shortly before the attack.

There were "heavy set bollards" protecting the area - security experts are astounded that he was still able to drive into the market.

He drove into the section of the market that was decked out in fairy tale scenes, lots of families there.

Police found no explosive device in the vehicle.

Two killed and scores injured in Germany as car ploughs into crowd at Christmas market

Dark BMW reportedly drove into crowd in eastern German town of Magdeburg in what is being described as a terror attack

www.theguardian.com

 

[mickey2942]

A regular occurence in Europe now sadly, all these attacks do is drive people to voting for extremist parties, either Islamic terrorism or false flag to boost the far right

RIP to the victims and full recovery wished for the injured

It is happening in the United States too.

Waukesha parade attack - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

simple.wikipedia.org

3 dead after truck driver plows into NYC park striking 10 celebrating July 4

At least three people died at the height of July 4 celebrations after a driver suspected of operating his truck under the influence of alcohol plowed into a park on the Lower East Side and struck 10 people, police and city officials said. The gray pickup truck blew through a stop sign near Water...

www.nbcnewyork.com

 

[sunspun]

So what is the death toll now? I've seen wildly varying numbers. Does anyone have a confirmed number yet?

 

[steeltowngirl]

NYPD bolstering security in New York City after deadly Christmas market attack in Germany

Although there is no evidence linking the Germany attack to New York, the NYPD says they are taking no chances.

abc7ny.com

 

[steeltowngirl]

It is happening in the United States too.

Waukesha parade attack - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

simple.wikipedia.org

3 dead after truck driver plows into NYC park striking 10 celebrating July 4

At least three people died at the height of July 4 celebrations after a driver suspected of operating his truck under the influence of alcohol plowed into a park on the Lower East Side and struck 10 people, police and city officials said. The gray pickup truck blew through a stop sign near Water...

www.nbcnewyork.com

We followed the Waukesha trial together. I still feel saddened when I hear Mariah’s Christmas song, as that was playing in the crash video.

There were also intentional crowd crashes in Charlottesville and Times Square.

Ohio Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Federal Hate Crimes Related to August 2017 Car Attack at Rally in Charlottesville, Virginia

James Alex Fields Jr., 22, the Ohio man who drove his car into a crowd of counter-protestors at the “Unite the Right Rally” on Aug. 12, 2017, killing one woman and injuring dozens, was sentenced today in the Western District of Virginia to life in prison for his crimes. Fields previously pleaded...

www.justice.gov

Tourist killed, 20 hurt after driver plows car into crowd in busy Times Square

Police said the driver of a Honda drove at a high rate of speed the wrong way up the sidewalk along Seventh Avenue, plowing into pedestrians before crashing and coming to a stop.

abc7ny.com