Door that held back Halle synagogue gunman is removed and will become part of memorial

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(JTA) — Now pockmarked with bullets, the door of the synagogue in Halle, Germany, that held out a far-right gunman last October was replaced on Tuesday.

The heavy wooden door will become the centerpiece of a memorial to the attack and the two bystanders killed by the assailant, The Associated Press reported.

Its removal comes as the suspect, Stephan Balliet, is standing trial at the state court in Naumburg.

The gunman tried but failed repeatedly to force his way into the synagogue in Halle, in eastern Germany, with 52 worshippers inside during High Holiday services before opening fire near the synagogue and at a kebab shop, killing two. The assailant said that Jews are “the root of all problems.”

A manifesto believed to be written by the alleged attacker was posted online before the shooting and distributed by sympathizers on the messaging app Telegram. Written a week before the shooting, the manifesto said his objective was to “kill as many anti-whites as possible, Jews preferred.”

On the first day of the trial, which began a week ago, Balliet repeated anti-Semitic conspiracy theories and anti-immigrant statements, and showed no remorse, Deutsch Welle reported.

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