It was Magdeburg Enveloped in sadness Since the attack that killed a nine-year-old boy and four women at a Christmas market on Friday evening.

About 200 people were injured when a man rammed his car into the crowded market in the eastern German city.

The suspect, Talib Al-Abdul Mohsen, a 50-year-old Saudi-born psychiatrist who has lived in Germany since 2006, faces charges of murder and attempted murder.

Political parties of all stripes expressed their grief for the victims and promised to strengthen security.

In a statement shared with Al Jazeera, Green Party leader Robert Habeck said he wished the city “comfort, strength and confidence.” Chancellor Olaf Schulz described the incident as a “terrible and crazy” act.

Nicole Unger, MP and co-chair of the Die Linke (Left) party in Magdeburg, said the city remained calm and people were still stunned.

“There are candlelight vigils, services and many moments where people stand together in solidarity,” she told Al Jazeera. Vendors at the Christmas market, which is closed for the rest of the year, are handing out free fruit and vegetables, she told Al Jazeera.

But while many are united in grief, tensions are rising.

In addition to the vigils, more than 2,000 far-right supporters, carrying banners and chanting anti-immigration slogans, gathered in the city on Saturday.

More marches are said to be scheduled for Monday.

Unger, who was born and raised in Magdeburg, said the atmosphere reminded her of the mid-1990s when a man was killed after far-right agitators chased a group of black men through the city in what became known as the Himmelfahrtskrawalle, or Magdeburg Rising Day riots.

“Right now, children and people with migrant backgrounds are afraid to go out on the streets,” she said.

The attack occurred as the Germans were preparing to conclude a hot political year.

After the coalition led by Schulz He collapsed In November, the Chancellor lost a vote of confidence in mid-December, triggering early elections.

Germans are scheduled to go to the polls on February 23.

Meanwhile, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party continues to gain political ground after its successes in this year’s state elections.

The day before the attack, American billionaire Elon Musk sparked controversy by posting on his X social media platform: “Only the AfD can save Germany.”

Observers described a sense of fear and anxiety, saying that sharing blame over the Magdeburg attack could distract from the main issues facing German voters.

“We still have to be very careful about the real motives of the attacker. But what is clear is that if there is an extremist force in political discourse that is in fact not only hostile to Islam, but generally hostile against any foreigners, and if that is expressed in this way… The strong way, as the AfD constantly does, trickles down.” Justus von Daniels, editor-in-chief of the German magazine Correctiv, who January News has broken of a meeting between the AfD and neo-Nazi activists to discuss the ‘master plan’ for deporting migrants.

He said that the way Germany acts now regarding enhancing security will be significant.

Von Daniels said that in the run-up to the election, political parties should avoid exploiting the AfD’s anti-immigration rhetoric and focus on issues that affect voters.

“the economy The immigration issue is a big part of this election, and an issue like Magdeburg shifts public discourse toward immigration issues. If the AfD tries to push the immigration issue further, I worry that other political parties will respond, which is not healthy for political debate.

The suspect and his possible motives have baffled authorities and the public.

Al-Abdul Mohsen described himself as a former Islamic activist on social media. His posts showed contempt for Islam and support for right-wing ideologies. He said he supported women fleeing Saudi Arabia, but a Correctiv journalist who was in contact with him did so challenge This claim, as he stated that several women blocked him because he was “behaving in a problematic way”. Some claimed they felt sexually harassed by him.

Saudi Arabia said it warned Germany about the doctor in November 2023. Germany acknowledged receiving the tip but ultimately decided that Al-Abdul Mohsen did not appear to be a threat at the time.

Taher Abbas, an associate professor of Islamophobia and political violence at Leiden University in the Netherlands, said the suspect appeared to have become “an admirer of populist ethno-nationalist ideals.”

“I think what this does is align this perpetrator’s motivations more broadly with far-right practices and ideologies, including in relation to the treatment of women,” he said.

“The far right has become hyper-normalized across Europe and North America right now, where enormous challenges have emerged and will continue to emerge, especially with President Donald Trump once again leading the United States.”

The suspect explained on social media his admiration for far-right leaders in Europe, such as Dutch politician Geert Wilders. Observers said that since the attack, the far right in Germany and across Europe has been quick to use the attack as a weapon to promote its anti-immigrant agenda.

“The extreme right is allowed to mobilize almost unhindered,” said Jorinda Schulz, an activist and member of the Left Party.

“For them, this attack is a springboard to gain more support, which is even more troubling because they are the ones who will attack people of color in the street and intimidate political activists.”

On Sunday, police in Bremerhaven, a coastal city in northern Germany, arrested a man who took to TikTok to threaten violence. The German news agency reported that the man warned that he would stab anyone of Arab appearance in the city on Christmas Day.