Security increases: Hamburg reacts after a fatal attack in Magdeburg

Security increases: Hamburg reacts after a fatal attack in Magdeburg

On December 20, 2024, a devastating attack on the Christmas market in Magdeburg occurred, in which a 50-year-old man from Saudi Arabia raced into a crowd by car. According to current reports, five people have died, including a toddler, while more than 200 people were sometimes seriously injured. The suspect, who lived as a doctor in Bernburg, was known to the authorities as no Islamist and is subsequently referred to as an Islam critic and sympathizer of the AfD. He was arrested immediately and the investigation was underway. Prime Minister Reiner Haseloff described the incident as a "inhuman attack" and promised a comprehensive reappraisal of the events, the Tagesspiegel .

increased safety precautions

In response to the tragedy, the police in Hamburg have significantly strengthened their presence at the Christmas markets. Interior Senator Andy Grote informed that the safety precautions are now being particularly checked. Despite the increased security measures, there has been no evidence of a changed danger situation in Hamburg, such as NDR reported. At the same time, Hamburg politicians are shocked by the events in Magdeburg. Mayor Peter Tschentscher and the second mayor Katharina Fegebank expressed her dismay about the tragedy, which is also considered an attack on freedom.

After the attack, the Christmas market in Magdeburg was closed immediately, and there is mourning to the highest federal authorities nationwide. Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser has promised support in the investigation. The incident has shaken a nationwide feeling of security and reminds many of the Islamist terrorist attack on the Christmas market at Breitscheidplatz in Berlin, as well as emphasized.