Magdeburg, Germany

Germans searched for answers on Monday (Dec 23) after a Saudi man drove his car into a Christmas market in Magdeburg, killing at least five people and injuring around 200 others, ahead of an evening rally by the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).

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As a nation mourned, with citizens leaving flowers and lighting candles close to where the incident took place on Friday, questions swirled about whether more could have been done and whether the authorities could have acted on warnings.

Germany's data protection rules are among the strictest in the European Union, which federal police say has prevented them from resorting to biometric surveillance to date.

Authorities are investigating a Saudi doctor with a history of anti-Islam rhetoric as the suspected driver in the car-ramming attack.

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The incident could sharpen a fierce debate in Germany over security and immigration ahead of a national election in February, with opinion polls suggesting the far right will perform strongly.

Mourners gathered near the site of the attack said it should not be abused for political purposes.

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One passerby, who gave his name as Mirko Eimes, blamed politicians who he said “don't take action.”

Eimes demanded migrants without the necessary paperwork be “deported.”

“Out! All of them. Those who don’t have a permit must leave the country. Simple,” said Eimes.

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The co-leader of the opposition far-right, anti-migrant AfD, Alice Weidel, was scheduled to speak at a rally in Magdeburg later on Monday.

Germans are set to vote for a new parliament in snap elections on February 23, with the AfD coming in second in recent polls after the opposition conservative Christian Democrats (CDU).

Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.