We Should Respond To The Berlin Truck Attack With Greater Unity

Nigel Farage has said the free movement zone in the European Union must be scrapped after the Berlin market attacker fled across borders to France and Italy. The suspect was later arrested after running from the scene.

The incident occurred at Breitscheidplatz, close to the Kurfuerstendamm, the main shopping street in Berlin’s west.

At least 12 people have died, including the original driver of the truck, a Polish citizen identified as 37-year-old Lukasz Urban, whom authorities said did not steer the semi-trailer truck into the public plaza. He was killed as police fired back, Minniti said. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity because the German government hasn’t publicly commented on the potential suspect, said Tunisian authorities are requesting more information on the German probe into the suspect. I know it would be especially hard for us all to bear if it were confirmed that the person who committed this act was someone who sought protection and asylum in Germany.

Police said there are no known specific threats here.

Christmas shoppers were out again in the streets Wednesday in the German capital, and Berlin Mayor Michael Mueller said it was “good to see that Berliners aren’t being intimidated”. He stressed “this is a suspect, not necessarily the perpetrator”.

Thomas de Maizière, Germany’s interior minister, said: “It is important that we find this suspect, and that’s why it is important to carry out an undercover search. During these times of great challenges, we do everything possible to make sure that our state is a strong state”, Merkel told reporters in Berlin. “We were in touch through Facebook and he was always smiling and cheerful”, she added.

“I heard a big noise and then I moved on the Christmas market and saw much chaos. many injured people”, Jan Hollitzer, deputy editor in chief of Berliner Morgenpost, told CNN.

The crash happened at a square at the end of the Kurfuerstendamm boulevard in the shadow of the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church whose damage in a World War II bombing raid has been preserved as a reminder of the horrors of war for future generations.

The White House condemned what it called an apparent terrorist attack.

Amri was the subject of a terrorism investigation in the country earlier this year.

Was he being investigated before the attack?

Der Spiegel news weekly said security services had even heard Amri volunteer for a suicide attack – but that he had used a phrase considered too obscure to stand up as evidence leading to an arrest. “Security at Christmas markets will be reinforced with immediate effect”, the French interior ministry said in a statement Tuesday, according to the Washington Post.