How the Magdeburg attack mobilized Germany’s extreme right – DW – 12/23/2024
The motive of Talib A.*, the 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.
Yet, soon after the attack, the far-right scene in Germany began to anger migrants.
“I have never experienced such a hostile and dangerous environment,” said a student studying automotive engineering in Magdeburg, the capital of Saxony-Anhalt state.
Salam, a violence prevention center in Saxony-Anhalt, gave a similar account. The association has seen a significant increase in incidents by right-wing extremists against people they consider foreigners.
According to Salaam, “The alleged migrants are branded as ‘terrorists’, ‘criminals’ and ‘lowlifes’, with some being pushed around and spat upon.”
The threats have become so rampant that migrant communities have taken to WhatsApp groups and Facebook to warn each other against going out in public.
Salam’s radicalization expert Hans Goldenbaum said that the perpetrator of the Magdeburg attack is suspected of being an Islamophobe and a right-wing extremist, a contradiction in terms. told German broadcaster MDR“It shows the power of this right extreme discourse and how far out of touch it is with reality.”
Nationwide mobilization of right-wing extremists
Since the attack on the Christmas market, far-right and neo-Nazi parties, associations and individuals have mobilized across Germany. They demand mass deportation of migrants from the country.
Hundreds of neo-Nazis gathered at a far-right rally in Magdeburg on Sunday, two days after the attack. Journalists were attacked during the demonstration. On Monday night, participants at a rally organized by the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) chanted, “Deport! Deport! Deport!”
One of the speakers at a rally on Sunday was Thorsten Heise. Extremist neo-Nazis already have many beliefs. Once he tried to run over a refugee with his car. Video from the rally shows Heise calling on protesters to infiltrate unions, fire departments and officers.
Journalists and observers reported that rally participants shouted “Wake up Germany”, a phrase used during Nazi Germany under Adolf Hitler. Its use is a punishable offense in Germany.
Politicization of the attack has started
David Begrich, a right-wing extremism expert at the Association Mittenender in Magdeburg, expects widespread politicization of the Christmas market attack. The AfD political party has organized a large demonstration in Magdeburg. Begrich strongly criticized the protests, saying the focus should remain on the five victims and 200 others injured after the attack.
“I am watching with great surprise and shock in Magdeburg,” he told DW. “This attack has deeply wounded the city. This also applies to me personally: my wife was one of the injured.”
Begrich said he believes no one should politicize an attack as long as there are victims in hospital: “The main focus should be on the fate of the victims. Reparations come after that. Communities don’t want any politicization.” “
Despite all the fake news, speculation and attempts to politicize the deadly attack on social media, Begrich considers his city genuinely affected, saying “the city is coming together.”
*Editor’s note: DW follows the German press code, which emphasizes the importance of protecting the privacy of suspected perpetrators or victims and urges us to refrain from disclosing the full names of alleged perpetrators.
This article was originally published in German.