Threat of Christmas market violence halted in Bremerhaven
The German police in Bremerhaven (Federal State of Bremen) have detained a man for threatening an attack on the local Christmas market. The individual claimed that "on 25 December, he will stab anyone who looks like an Arab or a southerner".
The German newspaper "Bild" reported that on Sunday, 22nd December, the police apprehended a man who threatened to attack people at the Christmas market in Bremerhaven. The suspect stated that he would execute his threat on Christmas Day, 25th December.
Bystanders recorded the man's statements and uploaded the video to TikTok. The aggressive individual claimed that "he is from Bremerhaven and will stab anyone who appears to be Arab or a southerner".
German authorities took the threats extremely seriously. The would-be attacker was apprehended promptly as soon as the video came to police attention. It is known that proceedings have been initiated in connection with the content of the video. The individual is currently in temporary custody.
Knife attack threats follow Magdeburg incident
German police treated the threat of an attack in Bremerhaven with heightened seriousness after a terrorist incident in Magdeburg. In Magdeburg, 50-year-old Taleb A. drove a car into a crowd at the Christmas market.
Five people lost their lives in the attack, and over 200 sustained injuries, many of them serious. Authorities reported that the assailant was from Saudi Arabia, had resided in Germany for 20 years, and was a respected doctor. The dpa agency reported that the man described himself as "anti-Islamist" and "anti-immigrant".
"Bild" additionally reported that Taleb A. repeatedly expressed support for the far-right party Alternative for Germany.