MAGDEBURG, Germany (Reuters) – A spontaneous memorial created by grieving families and local residents at a church overlooking Magdeburg’s Christmas market evolved on Saturday into a more politically charged scene. The changing tone at the site of a car-ramming attack on Friday, in which five people were killed and more than 200 injured, reflected the political tensions in a country struggling with arguments over immigration and the rising popularity of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).
Initially, the scene outside the church was characterized by expressions of sorrow and grief, with some people sharing harrowing tales of narrow escapes. However, as the day wore on, the atmosphere shifted as politicians and far-right supporters descended upon the site.
The attack, which authorities arrested a 37-year-old Saudi man with a history of anti-Islamic rhetoric for, has left questions over the suspect’s motives. At first, the incident drew comparisons on social media to an Islamist-influenced attack on a Berlin Christmas market in 2016. However, it later emerged that the suspect had criticized Islam and expressed sympathy for the far-right in past social media posts.
This development prompted damage control by the far-right, with one prominent figure, Martin Sellner, posting on social media that the suspect’s motives seemed “complex” and that he “hated Islam, but he hated the Germans more.”
As the day passed, politicians, including Chancellor Olaf Scholz, came to lay flowers at the spontaneous memorial. However, by the time Tino Chrupalla, the AfD’s co-leader, arrived, the crowd was filled with young people who had responded to a call by the party’s youth wing on social media to attend a vigil. The party, which is particularly strong in eastern Germany, hopes to gain more support in an upcoming election.
Many of the gathered supporters wore symbols associated with neopaganism and other mystical movements associated with the far-right, reflecting the party’s efforts to cultivate an image of being connected to traditional German culture.
Interior Minister Nancy Faeser expressed concern that the attack could be exploited by the far-right, but noted that there was little that could be done to prevent seemingly coordinated gatherings. She emphasized that there was a need to ensure that the attack was not misused by either side.