31-5-2024 (BERLIN) German police shot and wounded a man wielding a knife who launched an attack at a right-wing demonstration in the south-western city of Mannheim. The incident unfolded in the city’s central Marktplatz square, where an anti-Islam activist was set to address a small gathering.
Footage circulating on social media captured the alarming moment when a bearded man assaulted attendees with a knife. One individual was seemingly stabbed in the leg, while a police officer who intervened sustained a cut to the neck. Another officer then responded by shooting the assailant.
BREAKING:
Islamist terror attack in Germany
The conservative politician and anti-Islam activist Michael Stürzenberger was stabbed during a public meeting in Mannheim.
A police officers was also stabbed in the neck.
The attacker was liquidated by the police pic.twitter.com/o2lXeIAEZX
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) May 31, 2024
Authorities have yet to disclose the identity or motives of the attacker, and details regarding the injuries of the demonstrators remain sparse. German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, from the centre-left Social Democrats, expressed her concern for the seriously injured police officer, stating, “My thoughts are with the police officer. If investigations reveal an Islamist motive, it would further highlight the significant threat posed by Islamist violence, which we have consistently warned about.”
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz echoed this sentiment on social media, asserting, “The attacker must be punished severely.”
The attack took place during a live-streamed event where anti-Islam activist Michael Stuerzenberger was preparing to speak. Stuerzenberger, known for his critical stance on Islam, is associated with several far-right organisations, including the PEGIDA movement, which frequently stages marches, particularly in eastern Germany. The live stream bore the watermark of Stuerzenberger’s “Open Eyes” anti-Islam campaign tour.
This incident occurs in the heated run-up to the European Parliament elections, where the far-right Alternative for Germany party (AfD) has campaigned on the perceived dangers of migration from Muslim countries.
