Furious Germans have taken to the streets to demand mass deportations after the attack at a Christmas market in Magdeburg that killed five people and injured more than 200.
The suspect Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, a 50-year-old Saudi Arabian citizen who had lived in Germany for more than a decade and worked as a doctor, CNN reports, is accused of using an access lane for emergency vehicles to drive his SUV into crowds on Friday night.
Four women aged 45 to 75 were killed, as well as a nine-year-old child, André Gleißner.
The incident has triggered a furious backlash. Around 700 far-right demonstrators gathered in the city last night, including people holding a banner reading ‘Remigration’. They also carried so-called homeland flags.
German newspaper Bild reports the crowd were shouting: « Anyone who doesn’t love Germany should leave Germany. »
People were also said to be proclaiming « migration kills », and « we must take back our cities, our villages and our homeland, » MailOnline reports.
A number of the demonstrators were reportedly masked and aggressive, and there were minor scuffles with police.
On a visit on Saturday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, ministers and regional political leaders were heckled by members of the public, the BBC reports. Some were seemingly outraged by what was criticised as a « security lapse ».
German authorities, meanwhile, have defended the market’s layout and security.
Meanwhile, one of the UK’s biggest Christmas markets has said it has reviewed its security processes in the wake of the attack.
Birmingham’s Frankfurt Christmas Market’s security processes were reviewed and discussed with a police security adviser, the PA News Agency reports.
It said no changes are required and all staff remain vigilant.
The PA news agency understands there is no specific intelligence indicating a threat to Christmas markets in the UK.
The threat level for the whole of the UK remains at substantial, meaning an attack is likely.
A joint statement from Frankfurt Christmas Market Ltd and Kurt Stroscher, Frankfurt City Council, said: « Birmingham’s Frankfurt Christmas Market has a robust security concept that is the result of multi-agency planning that includes police security and counter-terrorism specialists.
« In light of last night’s tragic events in Germany the processes were reviewed and discussed with the police security adviser. No changes are required and all staff remain vigilant.
« Incidents such as those now occurring in Magdeburg reaffirm the efforts of all those responsible for the Christmas market in Birmingham to constantly rethink and optimise the security concept and demonstrate the need to continue this with the aim of achieving the greatest possible safety for visitors. »
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