EPAGerman authorities are facing questions about security and what they know about the suspect who allegedly used an emergency vehicle lane to drive into a Christmas market in Magdeburg, killing five people and more. 200 people were injured.
During Saturday’s visit, the politicians came under fire from the public, some seemingly outraged by what were criticized as security lapses.
German authorities have defended the layout and security of the market.
Authorities are also raising questions following reports they were warned about last year suspectpolice said they assessed whether the suspect posed a threat a year ago.
The suspect has was ordered to be detained before trial on charges of murder, attempted murder and causing dangerous bodily harm.
Normally at this time of year, German city centers are filled with shoppers and revelers drinking mulled wine, but this year the atmosphere is very different.
The main Christmas market was cordoned off and surrounded by police cars as armed officers patrolled nearby shops and malls.
The air in Magdeburg was filled with sadness as well as confusion and anger as people asked how this could happen.
As the politicians emerged from the blockaded market during their visit on Saturday, they were met with boos, shouts and shouts of “hau ab”, an extremely aggressive form of “go away”. “.
Some people seemed angry because of perceived security lapses. Others were annoyed and generally annoyed with Germany’s political leaders.
Security has been stepped up at Christmas markets across Germany since a similar attack in Berlin in 2016 when a man drove a truck into a market crowd, killing 12 people.
Open-plan Christmas markets now have some type of barrier around them – typically large concrete blocks, which was the case in Magdeburg.
However, the gaps between the barriers are large enough for emergency vehicles to pass through.
City official Ronni Krug told reporters during a press conference Saturday that emergency responders need a “normal” emergency evacuation route and that all relevant agencies have approved it. approve the plan.
“On the one hand, the concept of safety and security must protect those attending the event as much as possible, but also ensure, at the same time, that if anything happens, they can leave the venue quickly.” safely and quickly,” he said.
He added: “It’s probably something that can’t be prevented.”
German media reported that before the attack, there were warnings about a potential threat from the suspect.
The suspect, a doctor from Saudi Arabia named Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, came to Germany in 2006 and in 2016 was recognized as a refugee.
An atheist, he runs a website aimed at helping other former Muslims fleeing persecution in their Gulf homeland. His social media is filled with anti-Muslim views and conspiracy theories.
At a press conference on Saturday, Magdeburg police chief Tom-Oliver Langhans said police had carried out an assessment to see if the suspect was a potential threat, “but that discussion took place a long time ago. here a year”.
He added that investigations into the suspect’s past were ongoing and declined to comment further.
Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser told German newspaper Bild that investigators would examine in “detail” the information authorities had about the suspect in the past and that he had been investigated as such. how.
The German Migration and Refugee Office announced in a social media post that it had received a complaint about the suspect and had “taken it seriously”, but because the office is not an investigative agency so the complainant was referred to other authorities.
A tip the authorities received was said to have come from Saudi Arabia, the suspect’s home country.
A source close to the Saudi Arabian government told the BBC that it had sent four official notices known as “Verbal Notes” to German authorities, warning them about what they considered “important”. very extreme point” by al-Abdulmohsen.
However, a counter-terrorism expert told the BBC that the Saudis may have waged a disinformation campaign to discredit the person who tried to help young Saudi women seek asylum in Germany. .
On Saturday, Langhans said he had no information when asked about Saudi Arabia issuing the warning.
Later, the head of the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), Holger Münch, told public broadcaster ZDF that his office received notification from Saudi Arabia in November 2023. Mr. said local police had taken appropriate investigative measures, but the matter was not specific.
He added that the suspect “had many contacts with the authorities, insulted them and even made threats, but he was not known for violent acts”.
Münch said previous investigations would need to be reviewed.
Social media is being monitored
The suspect’s social media accounts are under scrutiny as investigators build a case against him.
He has been the subject of many anti-Muslim views and conspiracy theories about X, and has made threats in the past.
The German ambassador to the UK said X owner Elon Musk has questions to answer about why his foundation did not take action against al-Abdulmohsen.
Ambassador Miguel Berger told BBC Radio 4’s Broadcasting House program on Sunday: “We found that the person who carried out this terrible attack was extremely active, threatening X. The question is ‘Is X real? action against these things?’”
“We have a Digital Safety Act in the European Union that requires social media to take action. […]. It didn’t happen,” he said.
Musk’s own account called for Scholz to resign and reposted several accounts widely criticizing the German government for failing to act on threats the suspect made on social media.
The BBC has contacted X for a response.
Musk’s criticism of German authorities goes beyond the Magdeburg attack. On the morning before the attack, he posted support for the far-right political party Alternative for Germany (AfD).
“Only the AfD can save Germany,” he said.
The party leader, Alice Weidel, thanked Musk for his “note” and said “The alternative for Germany is really the only alternative for our country; our last choice ,” in a post retweeted by Musk.
When asked by the BBC to comment on Musk telling Germans how to vote, Berger said: “I think Elon Musk – before giving unwanted advice to the German people – he should consider his responsibility own foundation”.
