Reports: Truck runs into crowded Christmas market in Berlin; multiple injuries reported

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Source: Associated Press via Washington Post

Reports: Truck runs into crowded Christmas market in Berlin; multiple injuries reported

By Associated Press

December 19 at 2:35 PM

BERLIN Reports: Truck runs into crowded Christmas market in Berlin; multiple injuries reported.

Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/reports-truck-runs-into-crowded-christmas-market-in-berlin-multiple-injuries-reported/2016/12/19/46b462c2-c622-11e6-acda-59924caa2450_story.html

---

That's all. More coming.

== == ==

Lorry ploughs into German market, killing one person
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-38373867

7 minutes ago

From the section Europe

One person has died and several have been injured as a lorry ploughed into a Christmas market in central Berlin, police say.

Video footage from the scene shows stalls knocked over and people lying injured on the ground.

It is unclear whether it was an accident or whether the vehicle was deliberately driven into the stalls.

The market is at Breitscheidplatz, close to the Kaiser Wilhelm memorial church on the Kurfuerstendamm.

[Sanity Claws]

1. What an awful day

[philosslayer]

2. Sounds like a horrible accident

N/t

[brooklynite]

4. What about this sounds like an accident?

Dominic Waghorn Verified account ?@DominicWaghorn 59 seconds ago
Berlin truck incident eye witness tells Sky News: 'this wasn't an accident. Truck was doing 40 mph'

[Fast Walker 52]

5. shit, not a terrorist attack too???

[mahatmakanejeeves]

8. Still inconclusive.

Brake failure? Medical emergency?

As the reports trickle in, we will know what happened.

Give it time.

[philosslayer]

24. For a group that is supposedly progressive

It's amazing how fast some jump to conclusions.

[7962]

27. Its easy in this story. Its not really jumping when its so obvious

This will be a terrorist attack

[Ace Rothstein]

40. You should heed your own advice.

You always jump to conclusions and you're usually wrong.

[christx30]

49. Truck was hijacked.

Driver was shot as he was going home to his family. Terrorist (or accident victim, if you'd like) carried the driver's dead body with him to the attack site.

Pretty easy to jump to the correct conclusion when the landing zone is so clearly marked.

[snooper2]

85. Is there a single topic or subject you have been correct on?

[jmowreader]

29. The first thing I thought was ice

I know the area this happened in pretty well. If you do a Google Maps search for the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, where this happened, you'll see Kantstrasse points straight at the Breitscheidplatz (where the market is) then suddenly breaks left to the intersection where Hardenbergstrasse becomes Budapesterstrasse. The east side of the bridge over Kantstrasse gets pretty slick. If you nailed your brakes in a big enough truck, you'd slide right into the Breitscheidplatz.

Then I saw the guy was doing 40 mph...which means he wasn't on Kantstrasse. That road is always packed with cars.

I haz a sad. That's such a nice Christkindlmarkt and thousands of people go to it every day it's open.

[melman]

6. Wow

What an unexpected take from you.

[LanternWaste]

23. You're certainly not a subtle as you may think

You're certainly not a subtle as you may think... but who is?

[Retrograde]

35. Christman markets are one of my favorite things about Germanic countries

They're big fairs, usually in the center of town, with booths selling food and drink, local crafts, tacky geegaws, fancy goods, and everything in between. Often they have singers or musicians. And they're usually crowded after dark, since it's customary to bring the whole family for an evening of admiring the decorations. So I'm thinking deliberate attack is more likely than lost or confused truck driver.

[hrmjustin]

42. At this point it doesn't look like it was an accident.

[xor]

72. Oh you...

[Codeine]

78. Human Cartoon. nt

[brooklynite]

3. Update: 9 dead, 50 injured

http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/19/europe/berlin-christmas-market-truck/index.html

[brooklynite]

7. From the video I've seen, this was a semi, like the truck attack in France.

[TexasMommaWithAHat]

10. Looks like a terrorist attack on an iconic symbol of German culture

Sucks. Not confirmed, but a reporter on CNN says that authorities seem to believe that it is.

[FreeState]

11. The British press is calling it the same term "Lorry"

which is a large delivery truck (or semi).

[Yorkist]

9. We know.......

........who the smart money is on as regards responsibility for this. I suppose it might turn out different, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

German news reporting the driver may be on the run and, so far, 9 dead.

I expect it'll get worse. 30/40 mph of articulated truck going direct into a crowd is just a horrendous prospect.

Fucking evil bastards.

[LanternWaste]

25. And either way, people are dead.... regardless of whether you hold your breath

And either way, people are dead.... regardless of whether you hold your breath, or (more likely these days) are simply feeding your own bias.

However, were it truly an accident, we'd be denied the opportunity to illustrate to world how righteous we are by calling them "fucking evil bastards," which no doubt, accomplishes something or value, yes?

[get the red out]

28. I don't understand

If this was a deliberate act, referring to the murderer (if it was not an accident) as "evil" isn't "feeding your bias", it is understandable.

[7962]

31. Nothing at all wrong with calling evil what it is.

I guess you're keeping your opinions on trump to yourself as well? Not wanting to appear righteous?
This is obviously no accident by all accounts

[Yorkist]

36. Well....

......at least they know where to find a defence lawyer and a sympathetic ear now you've piped up on their behalf.

History is against you on this though LW I think.

There's value in calling fascism out as evil when it presents itself - because the price of getting in the habit of ignoring it is inestimable.

[Devil Child]

95. When someone murders people

Calling them "fucking evil bastards" is appropriate. Looks like we can even use "Islamic terrorist scumbag." Because that's what the perpetrator is.

If hating terrorists and those who murder innocents feeds my bias then I'm fine with that and I'm hungrier than ever.

[EX500rider]

97. +1

[muriel_volestrangler]

12. Police think it was deliberate

A lorry has ploughed into a Christmas market in central Berlin, killing nine people and injuring many more, police say.

Police now say they suspect it was a deliberate attack. Video footage from the scene shows stalls knocked over and people lying injured on the ground.

The driver is on the run, German media report.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-38373867

[Yorkist]

15. Driver caught and....

.......co-driver dead it seems now Muriel.

Very important for Frau Merkel that this isn't a recently arrived Muslim person/s.

[TexasMommaWithAHat]

63. Makes no difference

So, people are supposed to feel safer if this is a native born Islamist terrorist?

That's not real assuring.

[christx30]

66. Because the dead don't matter to Merkel.

As long as there is nothing to hang her refugee program, she's good with whatever happens.

[Yorkist]

73. No...

...not safer. But the German people aren't weak or hysterical and won't as a whole be clamouring to be made to feel "safer".

I imagine there'll be more a mood of anger - particularly if this event turns out to be attributable to the recent "refugee" intake that has brought with it more than a few problems, and a lot of people who have nothing to do with the war in Syria.

I'm just making the point that, coldly and politically, it would be less damaging to the German leader - another scalp that Putin would like to take - if this were the work of either a non Muslim or at least one who'd been long resident in the country.

For it to be, as some reports seem to be suggesting, a Pakistani "plant" who has taken advantage of an open door policy that's very much got Merkels name all over it would be political kryptonite at the ballot box for her.

[TexasMommaWithAHat]

82. But if he were a long resident or native born

Islamist, what does that tell you?

If people aren't "assimilating" (term used loosely here) and hate their new country, how long will Europe have to deal with this?

Thankfully, a much larger percentage of our immigrants seem to "assimilate" well into the U.S. One of my sons-in-law is the son of immigrants, and while we were surprised that he'd never had "pie" before our first Christmas together, he's actually as American as....well, apple pie!

[LittleBlue]

13. Sunni Islam is wearing out its welcome in Europe

A few years of this and there will be ethnic civil war. People aren't going to tolerate being blown up and plowed over by trucks.

[Rustyeye77]

17. What do you mean a few years of this ?

Germany is done with this.

Bet they're not smiling now.

[LanternWaste]

26. I pretend to know the full measure of a stranger's tolerance and bigotry as well

I pretend to know the full measure of a stranger's tolerance and bigotry as well should doing so validate my biases that "certain cultures" are incompatible (though your clever hand of couching it in the form of a disingenuous question last week certainly allows us to deny that we cower behind implication...).

[Rustyeye77]

38. Great comeback.

[7962]

32. TRUE refugees might actually BE welcomed. Much of this influx is a scam.

The problem is that so many are coming from areas not involved in war.
The EU has hopefully learned their lesson by now, but I wonder. The Islamists have made their plans well known. I dont know why we dont believe them

[LittleBlue]

53. Three naive fools smiling like they accomplished something

Such brainlessness seems common in my generation, it seems. Slogans and feelings over rational thinking. Shame.

[Rustyeye77]

81. Really.

Would love to see an interview with them now.

[JonLP24]

105. Wahabbism is responsible

It is a sect under Sunni but it's very extreme, the vast majority of Sunnis are not this way but discrimination and bigotry with the rise of the far right in Europe and Germany is one. It makes recruiting for Wahabbism terror groups to recruit.

[Pachamama]

14. I am right now in Germany - they are reporting on TV live 9 people dead over 50 injured

[Warpy]

18. Sky News is live and interviewing witnesses

http://news.sky.com/watch-live

[moondust]

16. DW: Suspected driver has been arrested.

Passenger in truck died in crash.

[Yorkist]

20. Strange.

Wonder if the dead "co-driver" was an accomplice of the driver, or a hostage ?

[moondust]

22. And...

if a hostage, did the driver kill him before jumping out and running? Seems odd that a passenger would die in a truck that crashed doing only about 40 mph.

[Yorkist]

30. Unless

.....the cops have shot him ?

[mahatmakanejeeves]

19. DW.com: +++ Truck attack in Berlin kills nine - live updates +++

+++ Truck attack in Berlin kills nine - live updates +++

Date 19.12.2016

{no time stamp}

Permalink http://dw.com/p/2UZFQ

Police confirm at least nine people have been killed in the apparent attack. A suspect has been taken into custody. Read the latest here.

The incident occurred on the Breitscheidplatz square, near the location of Berlin's iconic Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church along the Kurfürstendamm shopping mile. Nine people are reported to have died as a result of the attack; however, unconfirmed reports state that there may be more fatalities. Up to 50 people have been reported as injured.

The police are treating the incident as an apparent terror attack. The driver of the truck has now been arrested after fleeing the scene earlier. A co-driver was reportedly killed.

2054 UTC - Deutsche Welle reporter Kyra Levine is tweeting live from the scene - @KyraGermany

2052 UTC - German Chancellor Angela Merkel has been briefed on the situation by Interior Ministry officials

2051 UTC - Berlin Mayor Michael Müller says the situation is under control.

2049 UTC - German news channel N24 says the co-driver of the attack truck was reportedly killed.

2046 UTC - Suspect under arrest confirmed to be alleged driver of truck.

@polizeiberlin

[mahatmakanejeeves]

21. Some video links:

BERLIN: Truck Plows Through Market In Possible Terror Attack, At Least Nine Killed, Dozens Injured {VIDEO}

[Devil Child]

33. Islamic Terrorism strikes again

Rest In Peace to those killed, a quick recovery to those wounded.

[DFW]

34. I just got home to Germany from Brussels

News reports here say deliberate attack. The target was picked for its guaranteed crowded status at this time of year. The truck was reported stolen earlier by a Pole. That part hasn't been filled in yet. The similarities with Nice are unmistakable, and if the driver is found to have had a similar motive (or even a similar background), expect a new attitude to develop here, and the AfD and Neo-Nazis to have some undeserved fresh wind in their sails. I'm for once glad I'll be in the States for New Year's. Last year here in the Rheinland (Düsseldorf/Köln) wasn't too pleasant either.

More details when the news here reports them.

[Yorkist]

37. Ms Merkel....

........is on thin ice now, right ?

[DFW]

43. Not really

She's like Obama--conservative with a small "c." She's waiting for the cops and the intelligence services to come up with some concrete info, and not rushing to sensationalize this for political gain. Nor are any but the most extremist of her political foes. Germans like that approach, and the media here (not in her pocket) is right behind her with this. Don't forget, Fox Noise doesn't broadcast here for that very reason.

Of course, this is less than 24 hours old. When more concrete info comes out, and dispels some of the wilder speculation, it will be easier to assess what, if any, effect it has on her chances of re-election next year. It helps that except for Ursula von der Leyen, there isn't another candidate for Bundeskanzler even worth taking seriously so far, and von der Leyen if from Merkel's own party, and not about to challenge Merkel for the top spot. If Merkel for any reason decides to step down, it's card re-shuffling time, of course.

[Yo_Mama]

74. So soon after the Freiburg rape-murder news?? I think Merkel's in real trouble.

I think this is going to begin to add up in people's minds. I think this time she may have some real problems, and a few planeloads of denied asylum claimants being shipped back won't appease the electorate.

It's not really that the Germans reject refugees, it's more that they are having it thrust upon them that they don't know who is in their country from where and for what purpose. It's the disorder and chaos, followed by deaths.

Something's going to give, because push is coming to shove.

[Rustyeye77]

103. Shhhhh... Don't bring up Freiburg.

Too terrible.

[The_Casual_Observer]

76. This truck shit is one of the tactics promoted by Isis

It's crude, requires no skils.

[mnhtnbb]

39. We were in Berlin in mid-November 2013 when they were setting up Christmas markets

all over town. And we were in the area where this occurred.

[oberliner]

41. ISIS taking credit for the attack

The Iraqi Popular Mobilization Force tweeted that the terror group was taking credit for the incident, which left at least nine people dead at a major public market Monday.

[DFW]

44. Whether it is them or not, they won't be publicly credited immediately

Every crackpot religious nut in Europe and the Middle East always takes credit for these things as soon as they happen. Free publicity and their 15 minutes. It does the real culprits no good to claim responsibility immediately, because they will only be one of a dozen entities doing so. Wait a day or two, and see if they're sticking to their story..

[Coventina]

45. All rescue work is completed: 45 wounded and death toll remains at 9

Per the Guardian.

[Yo_Mama]

60. 12 deaths now reported by FAZ

http://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/inland/liveblog-berlin-zahl-der-toten-erhoeht-sich-auf-zwoelf-14583476.html

I know it's not the first attack on a Christmas fair in Europe - I believe there was such an attack in Liege (Belgium) in 2011, and there have been several in France more recently.

This seems an attempt at a Nice-style attack to inflict mass casualties.

[Rustyeye77]

46. "Lies, lies, all lies"

Nice was a lie
SAN Bernadino was a lie.
9/11 a lie
7/7 a lie
Orlando was a lie.
Boston a lie.
NY/ Atlantic City a lie
Al queda a lie
Isis a lie.
Germany rape- fest a lie
Charlie hebdo murder-thon a lie
And thousands I can't even remember.

"Lies, lies , all lies"

[hrmjustin]

47. Huh?

[Rustyeye77]

50. You're right...

Turkey Istanbul Airport a lie.

[hrmjustin]

52. I take it you believe these events did not happen or some other opinion?

[Rustyeye77]

54. No, they DID happen.

But some people will find any excuse to deny the obvious.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

57. I think you need the /s tag. NT

[ck4829]

58. Just like with Kalamazoo this year, Knoxville in 2008, or Colorado Springs in 2015

[hrmjustin]

62. Oh I see. You are mocking those who minimize these events and who is responsible for them.

Sorry I should have seen that.

[Rustyeye77]

64. Btw... GO BLUE !!!!

[hrmjustin]

65. .

[TubbersUK]

48. ????

[shenmue]

51. Okay no

Just no no no no no.

[LittleBlue]

55. German media reporting that the terrorist is a Pakistani refugee

What war is going on in Pakistan that justifies Pakistani refugees? It's pretty clear the asylum system is being badly gamed. The rules need to be rewritten so that refugee applications are processed on foreign soil, where the refugee must reside until such a time as their application is accepted.

[Rustyeye77]

59. Poor guy...

Having to subject himself to an accepting democratic society with freedom of speech and religion and gender equality was more than any person could bare.


End of sarcasm

[muriel_volestrangler]

61. You could ask Malala Yousafzai

Or see here:

http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/countries/pakistan/database/casualties.htm

61,482 killed since 2003 - 21,489 civilians, 6,661 security forces, 33,332 "terrrorists/insurgents" (eg the Pakistani Taliban)

[LittleBlue]

67. They have an insurgency problem in one part of the country.

Unless you are a high-profile target like Malala, that does not justify Pakistanis crossing thousands of miles and many safe countries to enter Germany. This is destabilizing the political landscape of Germany. For the greater good, this must end. An alternate solution must be found before quasi fascist parties hijack Europe. This mass migration will end one way or another. The only questions are who will be in office to formulate the solution and how severe will it be.

[Imajika]

77. You are quite right...

Europeans are not going to take much more of this. Far too many Muslims in Europe - quite often 2nd or 3rd generation Muslims just can not assimilate into a liberal democracy. Most do, but too many don't seem to be able to manage it. Even though the reality is the average person in Europe has almost no chance of being injured or killed in a terrorist attack, many (increasingly most in many areas) just feel their societies changing around them and not for the better.

Pakistan is relatively stable, there is no reason Europe should be accepting refugees from there. Worse, if all the enlightened Muslims from places like Pakistan leave there will be no one left there to help improve the situation in their own nations. I can see refugees from someplace like Aleppo, but Pakistan?

Muslims that come to the West need to be able to assimilate and adopt Western, liberal values - freedom of thought, speech, religious choice, women's rights, LGBT rights, etc. Too many Muslims seem to struggle with this. Europeans will start turning to the far right if this keeps up.

[muriel_volestrangler]

80. What is the limit of Muslims you want to impose on Europe?

You've decided that freedom of religion is no longer a right for Europeans. What was the percentage, or the absolute number, that got rid of the human right for you?

Would it be a good thing for the world in general for people's feelings about change to override what we use to think of as inalienable rights? For instance, Trump had an almost identical thought - that his supporter's feelings about Muslims should mean that no Muslim should be allowed into the USA. Was that a good idea, to you?

[Imajika]

86. No, I've decided it isn't such a grand idea to accept refugees...

..and immigrants who themselves have a difficult time accepting freedom of religion.

What's the limit? I'll take none for 800 at this point.

Germany had already let in way more refugees than they can reasonably vet and assimilate.

Why not just let the whole Islamic world into Europe and completely change those face of those countries to resemble something more like Pakistan, Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, etc? These are countries are hardly the beacons for liberal democracy, freedom of speech, REAL freedom of religion (you know, the kind where you can believe whatever you want without falling afoul of Sharia apostasy laws), LGBT rights to live as equals, equal rights for women (you know the kind where a girl is not forced to wear head coverings due to family and community pressure), and the list goes on and on.

Sorry, but Islam is still struggling with these concepts of actual freedom and Western liberalism. I think you'll find most Europeans think they've taken in quite enough "refugees" at this point.

[muriel_volestrangler]

88. International law, basic human rights and decency - all out of the window for you?

You decide to stick quotation marks around the word refugees, and that makes it OK to ignore to ignore international obligations to take in refugees, and you're happy using your prejudice to treat all Muslims as if they all hold the bigoted views on women and LGBT people?

FWIW, by the end of 2015, Germany's Muslim population was between 4.4 and 4.7 million - about 5.4% to 5.7% of the total. That's up by 1.2 million from 4 years ago. For that, you want to throw away the liberal concept of not discriminating on the basis of religion.

[christx30]

89. I direct your attention to this:

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-35059488

In the story fro the BBC, gangs of Muslims are going around telling strangers to stop drinking, gambling, listening to music, because it's not Islamic. The court found that it's not illegal to do it. But I think it's a really shitty thing to do. They are trying to force their religious on others. They don't want to become a part of German society. They want to change German society to something like they came from. I sure as hell would send those types back to where they came from, for the good of human decency.

[muriel_volestrangler]

91. Yeah, street preaching is a shitty thing to do

but reaction to it is not something that should form the basis of policy about Muslims. Or anyone, for that matter.

Sven Lau, the person named in the article, comes from Mönchengladbach in north-west Germany, so 'send those types back' isn't a helpful suggestion. He is, however, undergoing trial for aiding terrorism, which is more dangerous than street preaching.

[christx30]

92. That's not street preaching.

Preaching is informing people about your faith, the good parts, and trying to win converts.
Wearing orange vests that say "Sharia Patrol" and trying to enforce religious laws isn't preaching, and it shouldn't be tolerated. If it were Christians in the US, it'd be 8 to 10 guys wearing the vests, approaching two men holding hands and telling them that what they are doing is a sin and God hates it. Do you think you'd be cool with that?
And isn't it amazing how you can practically Venn diagram "people that are cool with religious police" and "terrorist"?

[muriel_volestrangler]

94. No, it is street preaching - telling people what their religion says how they should behave

In what way did they "try to enforce religious laws"? They preached at them. They told them what they ought to not do. And people ignored them. The vests that read "Sharia Patrol" in English weren't really going to convince anyone in Germany ("der Schariapatrouille" or similar) that they were any kind of official.

(Since when did preaching involve "the good parts" only?)

[christx30]

96. Any time you try to limit someone's right to do something

because of your religious beliefs, you are pushing your religion on them. It's no less than what WBC does with their "God Hates F*gs" protests, and protests outside abortion clinics.

[muriel_volestrangler]

99. Yes, and pushing your religion on someone in public is street preaching

Literally. "Try to limit" means "tell them they shouldn't, probably saying it's evil etc.". Would you regard what the WBC does, or abortion clinic protests, as grounds for limiting immigration by Christians of other denominations?

[christx30]

100. I'd say it's a shitty thing to do,

but I'd have more tolerance for a citizen doing it than I would an immigrant doing it. A citizen trying to change something in their own country is ok (and it's even more ok if they have no power to actually change anything). An immigrant coming into the country to change it is a crappy human being, and they should be banned.
It's like what the FBI is doing looking for people that abuse animals, because abuse of animals is an indicator of someone that would probably harm people. Someone trying the religious police thing has a very good chance of being involved with terrorism, aiding terrorism, or knowing someone that is.

[muriel_volestrangler]

101. As we saw, Sven Lau was born in Germany.

Where the people with him were born, I don't know. But I don't think laws that say doing something is legal for people born in a country, but not for those born elsewhere, are advisable in general.

"Someone trying the religious police thing has a very good chance of being involved with terrorism, aiding terrorism, or knowing someone that is."

Which might manage to be the basis for surveillance of them, but not for making it illegal.

"An immigrant coming into the country to change it" could apply to many people who tried to change a place for good reasons - Gandhi in South Africa, for instance. The idea that immigrants should face restrictions on their activities is dangerous.

[Imajika]

90. Okay, let's try this again with an example that might make sense to you...

Let's say you live in a town A of 1000 (just a random number for the sake of example). It's a reasonably enlightened town and mostly votes for Democrats and progressives. It features a social safety net, mostly equal rights for women and the LGBT community, etc. Now lets say the town next door with 10,000 people is just the opposite, we'll call it town B. It is governed by regressive Republicans and tea party types and as a result the two communities diverge greatly in terms of the distribution of wealth and quality of life. Your nice little community is well to do, good schools, the government itself is largely secular, etc. Now the town next door is chronically poor and almost a complete failure due to the folks the people constantly elect (ie Republicans their churches tell them to vote for) - they are poor, there is no safety net and things mostly suck for all but the richest among them. Just how many refugees and immigrants are you going to accept from the town doing everything wrong - ESPECIALLY when it has become clear over time that they are not going to change their political beliefs without a looooooooong period of assimilation? Many of these refugees are genuinely hurting, so how many do you let in to your town? Everyone that wants to come? 500? 250? You let in too many, too fast and you fundamentally change all the things you like and appreciate about the way your town is doing things.

Make any sense?

There is NO reason Germany should be taking in so many refugees and immigrants, especially from places like Pakistan. I could see temporary refugee status for people in immediate dire danger like those in Aleppo, but Pakistan?

The very face of many German communities is changing and NOT for the better. A disappointingly large number of Muslims seem to struggle mightily with enlightened, liberal Western ideas. And the result is that it is causing the right wing across Europe to rise up against the traditional center left and center right ruling parties. If the European governing parties don't slow immigration and reduce the number of refugees they take in, they are liable to lose power altogether and those countries wind up with far right governments that block ALL immigration and refugees from the Muslim world.

[muriel_volestrangler]

93. Net migration from Pakistan in 2015 - 22,000 (see #84)

That's all types of migration, refugee or economic. 0.027% of the German population. Or about the same number of civilians as have been killed by terrorists in Pakistan in the past 15 years. There are more people coming from Albania. So, no, the numbers in your story don't really make any sense. Whatever the equivalent of Pakistan is would be getting 1 person in to the town every 4 years. If we looked at all people moving into and out of your town of 1000, the 2015 figure would be 25 people in (not all Muslim), 11 people out in a year. And that's a high figure because of Syria, which is unlikely to remain at that level.

"governments that block ALL immigration and refugees from the Muslim world" - why, because they think there are already far too many Muslims in Europe?

[TexasMommaWithAHat]

83. Pakistani and Afghan refugees are the worst at

"gaming the system," at least according to a report done by BBC 4 radio a few months ago.

Those two countries have the largest percentage of economic refugees who lie about their ages in order to gain more benefits, and many seem well versed in their rights as "minors."

Imo, this is the shit that is going to turn Europe against the "refugees." They know they can't take in millions of economic refugees without radically changing their own country and it's economy. Merkel, et al, made a huge mistake welcoming so many economic migrants, when there are millions of war refugees who desperately need to get out of Syria.

[muriel_volestrangler]

84. Here's the figures for German immigration in 2015

http://www.bamf.de/SharedDocs/Anlagen/EN/Publikationen/Migrationsberichte/migrationsbericht-2015-zentrale-ergebnisse.pdf?__blob=publicationFile

Approx. net migration from non-EU countries:
Syria: 317,000
Afghanistan: 89,000
Iraq: 67,000
Albania: 47,000
Pakistan: 22,000
Kosovo: 20,000
Russia: 13,000
China: 10,000
India: 10,000
Serbia: 9,000
Turkey: 2,000

So it is mostly Syria anyway. Afghanistan is fairly large too, and Iraq not far behind, but both do have significant wars going on in them. But Germany isn't taken in 'millions of economic refugees', and it is the country taken in more than others.

[TexasMommaWithAHat]

102. True.

I was really thinking of the total arriving in Europe, and within just a few years they will be in the "millions."

[flamingdem]

56. Via Twitter: Killer a refugee from Pakistan

And Isis is taking credit

[Yo_Mama]

87. The police don't believe that he actually did it.

No gunshot residue (truck's driver was shot), no blood, etc.

So now they are looking for an unknown, armed mass murderer.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

68. Just in time for DC's 12th Annual Downtown Holiday Market

Downtown Holiday Market

We are pleased to announce the 2016 Downtown Holiday Market. Celebrating its twelfth year, this event boasts one of the most spectacular outdoor shopping environments in the region. This year the Downtown Holiday Market (DHM) will operate for 29 consecutive days and will have 4 weekend dates. It will open Friday, November 25, and will run continuously through Friday, December 23. Hours will be from Noon to 8 pm each day.

The 12th Annual Downtown Holiday Market is located on the F Street sidewalk in front of the Smithsonian American Art Museum & National Portrait Gallery between 7th & 9th Streets, NW. Bringing a unique and festive shopping “village” to the heart of Downtown DC, the market features more than 150 regional artisans, crafters and boutique businesses of ethnically produced goods.

Hundreds of diverse gift items, such as jewelry, pottery, paintings, and textiles will be offered by 60 exhibitors each day. Check back as the exhibitors rotate and the selection of goods will vary daily. You’re sure to find something special for everyone on your list.

While you’re shopping, enjoy lively seasonal entertainment, plus great snacks and festive treats. Located across from the Verizon Center and convenient to Metro and nearby parking, the market is a creative and convenient way to fulfill all your holiday shopping needs right in the heart of Downtown.

[romanic]

70. More terrorism smh.

When will it end, have the German people had enough of this plague?

[oberliner]

71. Death toll is up to 12

A large truck plowed through a crowded Christmas market in the center of Berlin on Monday evening, killing 12 people and wounding 48, some of them critically, a senior police official told TIME at the scene of the tragedy.

http://time.com/4607430/berlin-truck-crash-christmas-market-dead-injured/

[nitpicker]

79. Link to BBC latest

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-38375555

[muriel_volestrangler]

98. Police have released the man arrested after the Berlin truck attack

German prosecutors say the man who was arrested after the truck attack has been released because of insufficient evidence.

The man, named as Naved B, a 23-year-old asylum seeker from Pakistan, was arrested after he was seen leaving the scene of the attack. However, police expressed doubts about whether the man they had arrested was indeed the person responsible for the attack.

Michael Behrendt, a reporter with Die Welt, who first reported police doubts that they had the perpetrator, said one main reason the police were fairly certain early on they had not got the right man was the fact that he had no blood traces on him when he was apprehended immediately after the attack, whereas the truck cab was full of blood.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2016/dec/20/berlin-christmas-market-attack-suspect-pakistan-live-coverage?page=with:block-58597329e4b0d460757eae96#block-58597329e4b0d460757eae96

Prosecutors have released the 23-year-old they arrested after the attack due to a lack of evidence against him.

The man was arrested after a witness chased the attacker through the Tiergarten park. It now seems he lost site of the actual attacker and led police to the wrong man.

http://www.thelocal.de/20161220/live-police-search-berlin-biggest-asylum-centre-christmas-market-attack

[muriel_volestrangler]

104. Berlin truck attack: police 'seeking Tunisian man'

Police are searching for a Tunisian man in connection with the truck attack on a Christmas market that killed 12 people in Berlin on Monday night, German media are reporting.

Der Spiegel reported that police had found an identity document under the driver’s seat of the truck in the name of Anis A, born in Tataouine in 1992, and that the suspect was believed to use different names.

Checks are being made in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia, where the suspect was registered.

Police sources have told German media that the suspect had applied for asylum and that his case was under review. He was reportedly known to police as a dangerous person with links to Salafist groups in western Germany.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/dec/21/berlin-attack-german-police-leads