Damien McGuinness
Appearances
Global News Podcast
Fatalities and injuries in German Christmas market attack
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Global News Podcast
Fatalities and injuries in German Christmas market attack
Well, what officials have now told us is that at least two people have been killed, one of them a small child, one of them an adult, and it's thought that as many as 70 people could be injured, possibly 15 seriously injured. But of course, when you're talking about such large numbers, there's a lot of A lot of things that are unclear. You know, this is an ongoing situation, really.
Global News Podcast
Fatalities and injuries in German Christmas market attack
The whole area has been secured off now. The suspected perpetrator has been arrested and officials are describing this as an attack because the numbers are so big of people involved. It does sound like and it does seem, according to what police have been saying, that this was indeed a deliberate act. And it was a hired car that he drove into crowds at the Christmas market.
Global News Podcast
Fatalities and injuries in German Christmas market attack
And I think that's what's really shocked people. You know, it's a time when people would be relaxing and enjoying the festive season. And Christmas markets are, of course, a big tradition across the country. And, you know, that just makes this an even more horrendous and horrific situation for all those involved.
Global News Podcast
Fatalities and injuries in German Christmas market attack
And that's why officials now and politicians have been coming out expressing their sadness and sorrow at this tragic event.
Global News Podcast
Fatalities and injuries in German Christmas market attack
Yes, that's right. So as you'll remember, in 2016, there was a terrible attack on a market here in Berlin, not far from where I'm standing right now, committed by an Islamist extremist. And that shifted the debate in Germany. In that attack, 12 people were killed. And this was at a time when there were large numbers of asylum seekers coming to Germany. And
Global News Podcast
Fatalities and injuries in German Christmas market attack
You know, there had been a feeling of welcome to a lot of those people and Germany had been coping well with the influx of lots of new people who were seeking asylum and refuge here. But what we saw after that attack, that the political debate shifted to a certain extent and it gave... a boost to the far-right AFD party, which had been a new party on the scene in politics in Germany.
Global News Podcast
Fatalities and injuries in German Christmas market attack
And it also, I think it's fair to say, shifted the rhetoric slightly and made the debate around migration a lot more heated and in some quarters quite toxic. And I think that'll be the worry about this attack as well. We still know very little about the suspect and we don't know why he committed this.
Global News Podcast
Fatalities and injuries in German Christmas market attack
And I think that'll be the next question about why he carried out this terrible attack at a festive time of celebration for people.
Global News Podcast
Fatalities and injuries in German Christmas market attack
Yeah, that's right. It is, of course, a very uncertain time for Germany. There are snap elections coming up in February after German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's coalition collapsed in November. So politically, it's quite an uncertain time. And economically, the economy is effectively stalled. So there's lots of uncertainties around in Germany now.
Global News Podcast
Fatalities and injuries in German Christmas market attack
And I think the last thing the country needs is a terror attack in the run-up to Christmas. So I think that... That will make people even more nervous. And, of course, the idea of other terror attacking around Christmas has been something people have been talking about for a long time and hoping would not happen.
Global News Podcast
Fatalities and injuries in German Christmas market attack
But, of course, unfortunately, the tragedy has happened this evening, and that's why people will be mourning across Germany tonight.