Magdeburg shaken: terrorist attack at the Christmas market demands five life!

On December 22, 2024, a tragic attack occurred on the Christmas market in Magdeburg, in which five people were killed and up to 235 others were injured. The perpetrator, Taleb A., a doctor from Bernburg, raced over the market by car. He came from Saudi Arabia, lived in Germany since 2006 and received asylum in 2016. In the past, he noticed several times due to threats to violence and is currently in custody.

SPD boss Lars Klingbeil has already called for consequences from the incident. He demands the designation of asylum seekers threatening terror. Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser also has clear demands for comprehensive information. Faeser is fighting for faster resolutions of new security laws, while the interior committees and the parliamentary control committee days to examine the circumstances of the attack. For this purpose, Faeser, BKA boss Holger Münch and the Vice President of the Protection of the Constitution, Sinan Selen, are invited.

political reactions and security measures

The political reaction to the attack is diverse. While Faeser is calling for new laws on internal security, she at the same time criticizes the resistance of the Union and FDP against corresponding draft laws. In the Bundestag, a session for the security situation for December 30th is planned. The Union MP Thorsten Frei points out that digital gaps, such as IP addresses and facial recognition, have to be closed. There are also concerns about the previous cooperation between the security authorities.

Klingbeil criticized the current security concept on site and advocated improved technical and personnel equipment for the security authorities. He also warned of a mixing of security and migration issues and pointed out the help of medical staff from over 20 nations in the clinic in Magdeburg.

In addition, it became known that the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees had already pointed out the potential danger of Taleb A. in late summer 2023. In addition, the Magdeburg police received a written approach to danger, but this happened in the run -up to the crime. Taleb A. had already been convicted of threatening crimes more than ten years ago and also had conflicts with the Central Council of ex-Muslims.

Society and politics are now under pressure to learn from this incident and to ensure security at public events, while the discussion about the role of security authorities and possible failures is initiated. The demands for better data exchange and a standardization of information are of central importance in this context.