Berlin remembers victims of Christmas market attack

Over 100 people gathered in Berlin on Saturday to mourn and remember the 12 victims of the 2016 Islamist attack on a Christmas market in the German capital.

At 8:02 p.m. — the exact time of the attack — church bells rang 12 times to pay tribute to the 12 victims. The participants stood in silence on Breitscheidplatz where four years earlier a dozen people were killed.

The attacker, a 24-year-old man from Tunisia whose asylum application had been rejected, shot and killed a Polish truck driver and then used his truck to plow into the market, killing 11 and injuring dozens more. Following the attack he fled to Italy, where he was shot and killed four days later by police in Milan.

Victims 'are not forgotten'

"We will continue to be there for the victims. On this fourth anniversary, we remember the families of the victims, the injured and first responders who are still suffering the consequences of the attack today," German Justice Minister Christine Lambrecht said at the ceremony.

Archbishop Heiner Koch said during the prayer service: "After December 19, 2016, the history of Berlin is no longer the same as before ... We remember what violence a human being is capable of."

Berlin Mayor Michael Müller tweeted out a list of the names of the 12 victims, adding that they "are not forgotten."

A solemn affair

To respect COVID-19 restrictions, families of the victims and others who wanted to attend were able to book a place beforehand. They laid candles and wreaths on the steps of the church where a remembrance mass was held.

The priest giving the Mass also remembered the victims of other terrorist attacks in Paris, Nice, Hanau and Halle.

Most Christmas markets in Berlin and across Germany were canceled this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

ab/dj (dpa, epd)