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Terrorist attack in Germany.

(203 Posts)
Sago Fri 20-Dec-24 21:06:10

So sad reading of this evenings terror attack in Germany.
A simple pleasure walking around a Christmas market will probably become a thing of the past.

I have been to a Christmas market in Strasbourg, I was so nervous as the Police presence was high, they were searching bags, we were all being funnelled into the old town.

I knew if there was an incident it would be carnage.

I told my husband I was unhappy and had a sixth sense that something would happen.
We left the town centre and walked around the parks.
My husband was patient but thought I was being a drama queen!

The following day there was a terrorist attack.

In hindsight the powers that knew there was a high risk.

I pray that all those injured survive.

love0c Mon 23-Dec-24 08:29:50

I have just seen the face of the poor child that died, on the news. How as a mother or father would you ever, ever get over that?

escaped Mon 23-Dec-24 08:31:05

He was sane enough to drive the 50 kilometers north from Bernburg to Magdeburg.
He was sane enough to choose a place where there would be thousands of innocent people to cause the most damage to life.
He was sane enough to select the emergency entrance to the Christmas market.
He was sane enough to put his foot down on the accelerator to drive into people at great speed.
It sounds like it was planned in great detail to me, but then I can't see how it would cross anyone's mind in the first place.

BlueBelle Mon 23-Dec-24 08:36:14

I totally agree with your posts IAm64 it is so tragic for everyone and to lose a loved one in this way especially at a happy place, and happy time is truly awful but I don’t feel it has anything to do with terrorists but about a man who has become very, very mentally ill through whatever reason No one with sane thinking would do something like this he has been overtaken and consumed That is no excuse and I m sure he will be dealt with accordingly but that doesn’t bring those poor people back and it shouldn’t lead to hatred of a whole population of his original birthplace either

BlueBelle Mon 23-Dec-24 08:40:49

Escaped you obviously don’t understand mental illness it doesn’t mean you can’t plan and do even complex things you can be very competent in your planning and carrying out of something both good or bad, but it’s about the reasoning around why you are doing it that is totally askew

escaped Mon 23-Dec-24 08:47:06

That's exactly what I've said twice on here Bluebelle, No, I don't understand or I don't "get" how some people might think like that.
I chose not to mention where the pepertrator is from originally because I'm not sure it's even relevant. This is a universal and timeless problem for which there are no real answers.

petal53 Mon 23-Dec-24 09:06:48

Nonetheless using a vehicle as a weapon is a very new crime. It never, ever happened in my childhood nor the childhood of my children. Terrorism really came into our lives with the IRA situation although it did exist before but didn’t really touch the UK until then. This newer type of terrorism is more recent and is used more by certain groups than others. Bombs were used by the IRA predominantly, certainly not vehicles. Life is never certain but bombs, vehicles, and random knife attacks make life much more worrying. It’s so sad, and so unnecessary. This attack is certainly terrorism because it is a random attack on members of the public with a political motive. It seems that this man was not happy with the way the German government have handled their immigration policy. He’s obviously insane, but as escaped rightly says, same enough to plan and execute this deadly attack.

Mad or bad? It’s always the question. It doesn’t matter much so long as he’s put away so he doesn’t get to do this ever again!

escaped Mon 23-Dec-24 09:12:29

That's right about vehicle attacks petal53, and of course it's therefore easier for an unhinged "lone wolf" to carry out the atrocity.

keepingquiet Mon 23-Dec-24 09:14:27

Reading through this gives me a sense of how news becomes distorted by rumour and supposition with little regard for any of the shattered victims of this attack.

People are grieving, more will probably lose their lives and they will all be impacted with traumatic memories probably for the rest of their lives.

The truth will inevitably come out if the authorities are left to do their work.

Remember Stockport and how careful we need to be at disseminating news without knowing the facts.

Galaxy Mon 23-Dec-24 09:20:42

Well that happens because quite understandably there has been a complete loss of trust in institutions. I am not sure why people are surprised at that.

petal53 Mon 23-Dec-24 09:22:43

What happened in Stockport?

Mt61 Mon 23-Dec-24 09:28:21

Yes I apologise, it was below the belt what I said, only because a family member suffered from extreme MH, & has since committed suicide- but they would never have harmed a fly.
This act was heinous & obviously deliberate. I am so sick of the evil that goes on in this world. Still nervous walking around a certain shop in town (due to a stabbing of three people) yes that was was an attack but passed off as MH
I want to be able to push my grandchild round in his chair, without any fear of an incident like this happening!
If that is appalling of me to say that, what does it say of the people that commit these horrific attacks.

GrannyGravy13 Mon 23-Dec-24 09:40:16

I think it is easier to consider attacks like this as mental health issues because the alternative is just too dreadful to consider.

The alternative being just out right evil…

Wyllow3 Mon 23-Dec-24 09:45:24

petal53

Nonetheless using a vehicle as a weapon is a very new crime. It never, ever happened in my childhood nor the childhood of my children. Terrorism really came into our lives with the IRA situation although it did exist before but didn’t really touch the UK until then. This newer type of terrorism is more recent and is used more by certain groups than others. Bombs were used by the IRA predominantly, certainly not vehicles. Life is never certain but bombs, vehicles, and random knife attacks make life much more worrying. It’s so sad, and so unnecessary. This attack is certainly terrorism because it is a random attack on members of the public with a political motive. It seems that this man was not happy with the way the German government have handled their immigration policy. He’s obviously insane, but as escaped rightly says, same enough to plan and execute this deadly attack.

Mad or bad? It’s always the question. It doesn’t matter much so long as he’s put away so he doesn’t get to do this ever again!

"It seems that this man was not happy with the way the German government have handled their immigration policy"

Its always difficult on a long thread to repeat information but on page 3 both FGT and myself gave long quotes from reliable sources/evidence about this man's state of mind.

It had gone far beyond a policy opinion - he believed "they" were out to kill him, "they" had circulated his address and so on. Goodness knows what ideas were circulating in SM when he contact the ADf and where online threats has actually come from.

petal53 Mon 23-Dec-24 10:07:32

Sorry Wyllow but my daughter and children are visiting from New Zealand and I have spent only a little time on GN this last few days, and the same will be true over the next couple of weeks. I haven’t got time to read every thread in full. I read the beginning and I commented. Obviously some people have got a lot more time and are a lot more invested in news items and politics than I am at present, but that will not stop me from adding my fourpenneth worth when I have time to bob in.

pascal30 Mon 23-Dec-24 10:14:42

BlueBelle

Escaped you obviously don’t understand mental illness it doesn’t mean you can’t plan and do even complex things you can be very competent in your planning and carrying out of something both good or bad, but it’s about the reasoning around why you are doing it that is totally askew

agreed Bluebelle..

Wyllow3 Mon 23-Dec-24 10:21:43

Have a nice time with the family!

Primrose53 Mon 23-Dec-24 10:21:48

petal53

Nonetheless using a vehicle as a weapon is a very new crime. It never, ever happened in my childhood nor the childhood of my children. Terrorism really came into our lives with the IRA situation although it did exist before but didn’t really touch the UK until then. This newer type of terrorism is more recent and is used more by certain groups than others. Bombs were used by the IRA predominantly, certainly not vehicles. Life is never certain but bombs, vehicles, and random knife attacks make life much more worrying. It’s so sad, and so unnecessary. This attack is certainly terrorism because it is a random attack on members of the public with a political motive. It seems that this man was not happy with the way the German government have handled their immigration policy. He’s obviously insane, but as escaped rightly says, same enough to plan and execute this deadly attack.

Mad or bad? It’s always the question. It doesn’t matter much so long as he’s put away so he doesn’t get to do this ever again!

It’s not. My husband and his friend were run over by skinheads in the 70s and the driver was sent to prison. Charged with using a car as an offensive weapon.

petal53 Mon 23-Dec-24 10:24:34

Thank you Wyllow.
That’s really kind of you.

petal53 Mon 23-Dec-24 10:27:35

Well that’s interesting Primrose, I hope your husband and his friend were/are okay. Not a situation that is very nice for anyone.
However, whilst what you say is true, these terrorist type crimes are different and we need to be very aware of this.

GrannyGravy13 Mon 23-Dec-24 10:27:57

Enjoy your family petal53 we will be here for you when they have returned to NZ 😘🤶

petal53 Mon 23-Dec-24 10:33:03

Thank you GG, you’ll all be able to mop up my tears. Thank you.

Wyllow3 Mon 23-Dec-24 10:39:15

Not a new tactic, including in the UK (Westminster Bridge)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_vehicle-ramming_attacks

Mt61 Mon 23-Dec-24 11:47:53

GrannyGravy13

I think it is easier to consider attacks like this as mental health issues because the alternative is just too dreadful to consider.

The alternative being just out right evil…

Yes exactly. If it’s not MH, then it’s evil beyond all comprehension!

keepingquiet Mon 23-Dec-24 13:11:38

petal53

What happened in Stockport?

So sorry. It was of course, Southport.

Boz Mon 23-Dec-24 15:18:47

Perhaps his politics really were German Right Wing, in which case, irrespective of whether he was mad or evil, he has done them a massive service by substantiating hatred of immigrants.
Really bad time for those not really welcome in western society.