Magdeburg in fear: racist attacks after Christmas market attack!

On January 7, 2025, a group of four Magdeburg city council groups published a joint explanation in which the victims of a recent attack was given compassion. The incident on December 20, in which a man drove to a crowd on the Magdeburg Christmas market by car, led to a tragedy in which five people were killed and more than 200 injured. The alleged perpetrator, a 50-year-old man from Saudi Arabia, has lived in Germany since 2006 and is known as an Islam critic. The Thuringian Constitutional Protection assigns the crime to the right -wing extremist spectrum, whereby the motif remains unclear.

In their explanation, the political groups were concerned about the repeated attacks on people with a history of migration and described these attacks as hideous and as a contradiction to the values ​​of the city. In addition, they sent the attacks on the attacks and called the citizens in Magdeburg to be careful and respectful. A cohesion and mutual support are considered crucial to counteract a division of the city.

racist attacks and support for the victims

Since the attack on the Christmas market, there have been several documented attacks on people with a history of migration. The police reported four cases of bodily harm, whereby suspects have already been identified and investigations have already been initiated. In order to counter the impending escalation, the police immediately increased the number of their strips.

The advice center for violence and radicalization prevention Salam found that the mood against migrants in Magdeburg has become more enemy. People perceived were insulted and physical attacks occurred. An incident occurred on Christmas Eve when an intensive sister and her husband were racially insulted and beaten; The perpetrator was arrested in this case.

The network of migrant organizations Saxony-Anhalt reported an increase in racist attacks and blamed migration and Islam-anti-Islamic rhetoric for violence. In the support for the victims of the attack, the citizens showed solidarity: within a week, over 600,000 euros were transferred to a donation account for the victims and their relatives, with a total of 5,640 donors. Mayor Simone Borris emphasized the impressive willingness to donate and the sense of community, which is recognizable in this difficult time in Magdeburg.