German Christmas market attack latest: Tributes to boy, 9, amid concerns over security and intelligence lapse
Nine-year-old child among five dead with 200 other people injured in attack, including 40 critical
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Your support makes all the difference.Law enforcement in Germany is facing criticisms over security and intelligence failure after a Saudi national rammed a car into a crowd at a busy Christmas market in Magdeburg, killing five people and injuring dozens.
German interior minister Nancy Faeser and the heads of intelligence services are expected to answer questions at parliamentary committee hearings on 30 December.
German authorities social media said it received a tip in late summer 2023, which was "taken seriously”. Police said in a dispute over the recognition of examination results, the suspect threatened members of the state medical association with an act that would attract international attention.
Authorities named the nine-year-old boy who was among five people killed, as thousands of pounds were raised for his grieving family.
In a heartbreaking social media post, the mother of André Gleißner paid tribute to her son, saying: “Let my little teddy bear fly around the world again. André didn’t do anything to anybody. He was only with us on earth for nine years. Why you? Just why.”
Meanwhile, the Saudi doctor accused of driving into the market in Magdeburg has appeared in court.
Who is the German Christmas market attack suspect? A Saudi doctor and far-right supporter
German Christmas market attack: Everything we know as car attack kills five and injures hundreds
Mother pays tribute to boy, 9, killed in German Christmas market attack: ‘Let my little teddy bear fly’
UK Christmas market has reviewed its security in wake of Magdeburg attack
Arrest made over man who threatened Christmas market on TikTok
On Sunday night, police in the port city of Bremerhaven said they detained a man who threatened crimes at a Christmas market there in a TikTok video.
German news agency dpa reported that he had said he would stab any people of Arabic appearance there on Christmas Day.
Mourners continue to lay flowers near scene of deadly attack
Mourners have laid flowers near the scene of the deadly Christmas market attack in Madgeburg as investigators puzzled over the motive of the suspect and fears swirled that the rampage could deepen divisions in German society.
The Johanniskirche, a church a short walk from the scene of the attack, has become a central place of mourning since the suspect drove a car into the busy market on Friday evening, killing five people and injuring 200 others. A carpet of flowers now covers the broad pavement in front of the church.
Authorities have identified the suspect as a Saudi doctor who arrived in Germany in 2006 and had received permanent residency status. They say he does not fit the usual profile of perpetrators of extremist attacks.
The man described himself as an ex-Muslim who was highly critical of Islam and in many posts on social media expressed support for the far-right
In pictures: Scenes from the incident
Birmingham Christmas market reviews security processes
One of the UK’s biggest Christmas markets said it has reviewed its security processes in the wake of the attack on a German Christmas market which left five people dead and more than 200 injured.
Birmingham’s Frankfurt Christmas Market’s security processes were reviewed and discussed with a police security adviser after a BMW ploughed into customers at the busy festive market in Magdeburg on Friday evening.
It said no changes are required and all staff remain vigilant.
The PA news agency understands there is no specific intelligence indicating a threat to Christmas markets in the UK.
The threat level for the whole of the UK remains at substantial, meaning an attack is likely.
A joint statement from Frankfurt Christmas Market Ltd and Kurt Stroscher, Frankfurt City Council, said: “Birmingham’s Frankfurt Christmas Market has a robust security concept that is the result of multi-agency planning that includes police security and counter-terrorism specialists.
“In light of last night’s tragic events in Germany the processes were reviewed and discussed with the police security adviser. No changes are required and all staff remain vigilant.
“Incidents such as those now occurring in Magdeburg reaffirm the efforts of all those responsible for the Christmas market in Birmingham to constantly rethink and optimise the security concept and demonstrate the need to continue this with the aim of achieving the greatest possible safety for visitors.”
France extends Olympics surveillance measures to Christmas market
Friday’s deadly car-ramming attack at a Christmas market in the German city of Magdeburg has prompted renewed scrutiny in a number of European countries of security arrangements for the seasonal markets, which draw large crowds.
But the French interior ministry’s broad use of powers introduced under a 2017 anti-terror law to strictly limit the movements of individuals deemed a serious security threat was already drawing criticism from some lawyers and human rights activists before the attack.
At least 547 people were placed under an “individual measure of administrative control and surveillance” for the Paris Olympics, according to a parliamentary report published on Dec. 11, even though some, like Khaled, had never faced criminal charges.
Now, some lawyers and activists are concerned that the wider use of these measures, known by the French acronym MICAS, could become the norm for other major public events.
The interior ministry, which is in charge of police, and the local authority for the Bas-Rhin region, which includes Strasbourg, did not answer questions about those targeted because of the Christmas market.
UK Christmas market reviews security in wake of Magdeburg attack
One of the UK’s biggest Christmas markets said it has reviewed its security processes in the wake of the attack on a German Christmas market which left five people dead and more than 200 injured.
Birmingham’s Frankfurt Christmas Market’s security processes were reviewed and discussed with a police security adviser after a BMW ploughed into customers at the busy festive market in Magdeburg on Friday evening.
It said no changes are required and all staff remain vigilant.
UK Christmas market has reviewed its security in wake of Magdeburg attack
Birmingham’s Frankfurt Christmas Market’s security processes were reviewed but no changes were required
Who is the German Christmas market attack suspect?
Police have arrested a 50-year-old man after a car ploughed into a busy outdoor Christmas market in Magdeburg on Friday evening, killing at least five people and injuring 200 others.
At least five people - including a nine-year-old boy and four women - were killed in the attack as the suspect is remanded in custody.
Footage showed the vehicle breaking through barriers before speeding 400 metres through the crammed “fairytale-like” Magdeburg market.
More here.
Who is Magdeburg Christmas market attack suspect Taleb al-Abdulmohsen?
Police arrested a 50-year-old man after a car was driven into a crowd of people at a busy Christmas market in Magdeburg on Friday night
‘No stone will be left unturned’ in wake of Christmas market attack
As criticism continues to mount of Germany’s security failure to stop the attacker, the interior minister Nancy Faesar has said the heads of the country’s intelligence services would be questioned by two parliamentary committees.
She promised Bild newspaper that “no stone will be left unturned”, adding that authorities would “clarify all this background. They will also examine in detail what information was available in the past, and how it was followed up.”
Faeser said that the current task was to understand the suspect “who does not fit any existing mould”.
Everything we know about Magdeburg attack
An extensive police operation is underway following the attack at the market in the German city of Magdeburg that happened at around 7pm local time on Friday.
Athena Stavrou has this rundown of what we know so far:
German Christmas market: Everything we know about car attack that killed five
An extensive police operation is underway following the attack at the market in the German city of Magdeburg
In pics: People pay tribute at the site of the Magdeburg Christmas market attack
