"We are the people!"

Strong reactions after the death drive in Magdeburg

The speech by Chancellor Scholz and Interior Minister Nancy Faeser provoked strong reactions from the people of Magdeburg.

(Bild: APA/AFP/Ronny HARTMANN)

After the speech by Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, the people of Magdeburg are up in arms. Both politicians were viciously insulted by the crowd. New details have emerged about the state of the investigation into the attack and the perpetrator's motive. The alleged perpetrator, Taleb A., is to be questioned on Saturday.

Magdeburg, the otherwise lively state capital of Saxony-Anhalt, has been in a state of shock since the suspected perpetrator Taleb. A has been in a state of shock. At least five people are dead and several are seriously injured, many of them in mortal danger.

Chancellor: "Hate must not win"
After the attack on the Christmas market in Magdeburg on Friday evening, there is great sadness. However, hate and violence must not be allowed to win, warned Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz during his speech at the scene of the crime on Saturday afternoon.

Scholz had previously laid flowers at St. John's Church in memory of the victims. Together with Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD), Federal Justice Minister Volker Wissing (non-party), Environment Minister Steffi Lemke (Greens) and CDU/CSU parliamentary group leader Friedrich Merz (CDU), he spoke to the Saxony-Anhalt cabinet at the State Chancellery in Magdeburg. Accompanied by Minister President Reiner Haseloff, the politicians then visited the crime scene and spoke to emergency services in the Old Town Hall.

Politicians were booed by passers-by
During the visit to the crime scene, Scholz said: "When such a terrible, horrific event happens, we have to stick together as a country so that we are not ruled by hatred." He wanted to assure Magdeburg of the solidarity of the entire country.

After the speech, the politicians were confronted with wild insults and booed by passers-by. "Traitor to the people!", the residents of Magdeburg hurled at Interior Minister Faeser. "Murderer!" and "We are the people!", they shouted at Scholz as he left the scene of the crime at the Christmas market. 

Suspect drove car along escape and rescue route
On Saturday afternoon, the authorities in Saxony-Anhalt announced new details about the state of the investigation. According to Ronni Krug, Magdeburg city councillor for public order, five people were killed and 205 people were injured. Of these, 41 people were seriously or critically injured. Krug went on to say that the city had revised its safety concept before the current Christmas season. This was in response to the knife attack at a city festival in Solingen this summer. 

Despite this, the alleged perpetrator still managed to drive the rented BMW into the crowd. He is said to have used the escape and rescue route to reach the central square where the Christmas market was taking place. The drive took around three minutes before he was arrested, said Tom-Oliver Langhans, director of the Magdeburg police station. 

There were proceedings against the perpetrator, as is the case with many other criminals. But we didn't focus on him because he commits crimes of this nature and quality. That was by no means the case.

Horst Walter Nopens, Leitender Oberstaatsanwalt in Magdeburg

The public prosecutor's office has given initial indications of the suspect's possible motive. "He has commented on the motive for the crime," said Horst Nopens, the senior public prosecutor in charge, in Magdeburg on Saturday. "Dissatisfaction with the treatment of Saudi Arabian refugees" could therefore have been the background to Taleb A.'s crime. The authorities assume that he was a lone perpetrator. 

According to Nopens, the investigators believe that the crime was an attack or a rampage. He is not talking about a terrorist attack - if the attack turns out to be terrorism, the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office in Karlsruhe will take over the investigation. They have been investigating the case since Friday evening.

Investigation into possible warning from Saudi Arabia
The Magdeburg authorities stated that there was currently no evidence that Saudi Arabia had warned of the suspected perpetrator. However, this is being investigated, said Tom-Oliver Langhans, director of the Magdeburg police station. They are working closely with the relevant security authorities.

The director of the Magdeburg police station, Tom-Oliver Langhans, explained that a criminal complaint had already been filed against A. a year ago. At that time, it was planned to conduct a threat interview with A., but as things stand at present, this has not been implemented. Langhans did not comment on the specific accusations made at the time.

The arrested man will be questioned on Saturday afternoon. The accused is to be transferred to custody after the measures have been completed. The Magdeburg public prosecutor's office is now investigating the alleged perpetrator and 50-year-old doctor Taleb A. for five counts of murder. The man is also accused of 205 counts of attempted murder in conjunction with grievous bodily harm.