Despite the suspect's many statements expressing hostility to Islam, the head of the AfD in Sachsen-Anhalt, Martin Reichardt, said in a statement "the attack in Magdeburg shows that Germany is being drawn into political and religious fanaticism that has its origins in another world".

Far-right co-chair Alice Weidel says attack is ‘act of an Islamist full of hatred ... for us Germans, for us Christians’

Racist attacks against migrants have come in the wake of the deadly Christmas market attack in Magdeburg. Observers warn of Germany's extreme-right scene mobilizing over the incident.

The attack on the market in Magdeburg sparked a wave of protests from far-right groups, reports the "Daily Mail". Approximately 1,000 people gathered in the city centre carrying flags with slogans like "Remigration now".