The motive of Talib A.*, the suspected perpetrator of the deadly Christmas Market attack in Magdeburg, is still unclear. What has been confirmed is that he is a Saudi citizen and is in custody.
Nonetheless, shortly after the attack, the extreme-right scene in Germany began to antagonize migrants.
“I have never experienced such a hostile and threatening environment,” said a student studying automotive engineering in Magdeburg, the state capital of Saxony-Anhalt.
Salam, a violence prevention center in Saxony-Anhalt, gave a similar account. The association has observed a significant increase in incidents against people seen as foreigners by right-wing extremists.
According to Salam, “perceived migrants are branded as ‘terrorists,’ ‘criminals’ and ‘lowlifes,’ some are pushed around and spat at.”
Threats have gone so far that migrant communities have warned each other in WhatsApp groups and on Facebook against going out in public.
That the perpetrator of the Magdeburg attack is suspected of being an Islamophobe and a right-wing extremist is a paradox, Hans Goldenbaum, a radicalization expert at Salam, told German broadcaster MDR. “It shows the power of this right extreme discourse and how sealed off he is from reality.”
Nationwide mobilization of right-wing extremists
Since the Christmas market attack, extreme-right and neo-Nazi parties, associations and individuals have mobilized across Germany. They demand the mass deportation of migrants from the country.
Hundreds of neo-Nazis gathered at an extreme-right rally in Magdeburg on Sunday, two days after the attack. The demonstration saw attacks on journalists.
One of the speakers at a rally on Sunday was Thorsten Heise. The militant neo-Nazi has several previous convictions. He once tried to run over a refugee with his car. Videos of the rally show Heise calling on the demonstrators to infiltrate associations, fire departments and authorities.
Journalists and observers reported that participants in the rally shouted “Wake up Germany,” a phrase used during Nazi Germany under Adolf Hitler. Its usage is a punishable offense in Germany.
According to police estimates, up to 3,500 people — including party leaders and known extremists from the local hooligan scene — attended a demonstration promoted by the nationalist far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) . Clothing and tattoos common among white supremacists were visible.
As AfD leader Alice Weidel spoke, the audience chanted: “Deport, deport, deport.” After the demonstration, attendees took to the streets. They attacked photographers, shouted nationalist slogans and tested the strength of the accompanying police.
Politicization of the attack has already begun
David Begrich, a right-wing extremism expert from the association Miteinander in Magdeburg, expects a broader politicization of the Christmas market attack. The AfD political party has organized large demonstrations in Magdeburg. Begrich strongly criticized the demonstrations, saying that the focus after the attack should remain on the five victims and the 200 others wounded.
“I am witnessing great bewilderment and shock in Magdeburg,” he told DW. “This attack has deeply wounded the city. That also applies to me personally: my wife was one of those injured.”
Begrich said he thinks no one should politicize the attack as long as there are victims in the hospital: “The fate of the victims must be the main focus. The reappraisal comes afterward. Communities do not want any politicization.”
Despite all the fake news, speculation and attempts at politicizing the deadly attack on social media, Begrich sees his city as truly affected, “The city is coming together.”
*Editor’s note: DW follows the German press code, which stresses the importance of protecting the privacy of suspected criminals or victims and urges us to refrain from revealing the full names of alleged criminals.
This article was originally published in German.
This article was originally published on December 23, 2024, and updated on December 24, 2024, to include details of a rally promoted by the Alternative for Germany party.
