Bremerhaven man detained for Christmas market attack threat
The German police in Bremerhaven, located in the state of Bremen, have detained a man who threatened to attack the local Christmas market. The individual claimed that "on December 25, he will stab anyone who looks like an Arab or a Southerner."
The German newspaper "Bild" reports that on Sunday, December 22, police apprehended a man who had threatened to stab participants of the Christmas market in Bremerhaven. The man declared that he intended to carry out his threat on Christmas Day, December 25.
The man's threats were recorded by bystanders, who shared the video on TikTok. The aggressive individual, a native of Bremerhaven, claimed that "he is from Bremerhaven and will stab anyone who appears to be Arab or Southern."
German officers took the threats very seriously. The potential attacker was detained promptly after the police became aware of the video. Authorities have initiated proceedings against the person featured in the video. The man is currently in temporary custody.
Knife attack threats come days after the Magdeburg attack
German police treated the threat of an attack in Bremerhaven with great seriousness, especially following the terrorist attack in Magdeburg. In that attack, 50-year-old Taleb A. drove a car into a crowd gathered at the Christmas market.
The attack resulted in a total of five deaths. More than 200 people were injured, many of them seriously. Authorities stated that the attacker was originally from Saudi Arabia, had lived in Germany for 20 years, and was a respected doctor. The dpa news agency reported that the man described himself as "anti-Islamist" and "anti-immigrant."
"Bild" also reported that Taleb A. repeatedly emphasized that he is a supporter of the far-right Alternative for Germany party.
