European Peace Agreement - Attack with a knife at a rally against Islam: Victims hurt
A man wielding a knife attacked participants of an anti-Islam demonstration in Mannheim marketplace, wounding six individuals. A police officer is in critical condition according to Baden-Württemberg's Interior Minister Thomas Strobl (CDU). The assault was directed at members of an Islam-critical group called Pax Europa. The group's treasurer, Stefanie Kizina, stated that board member Michael Stürzenberger was also injured.
The assailant was shot by police and suffered injuries. The investigation for political crimes at the Karlsruhe Public Prosecutor's Office is ongoing. Strobl reported on Friday night that there's no information regarding the motive yet. Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) stated, "If the investigations reveal an Islamic extremist motive, then this would be further evidence of the grave threat posed by Islamic extremist acts of violence, which we have been warning about."
Mannheim's Mayor Christian Specht (CDU) considered the knife attack a terrorist act. Chancellor Olaf Scholz described the perpetrator as an assassin and spoke out against the attack, while Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier expressed his dismay.
Kizina stated that the attack was aimed at Stürzenberger, who was stabbed in the face with a knife. "He was hit in the leg and the face. He will undergo surgery. His life isn't in immediate danger," Kizina reported. The 59-year-old is one of Pax Europa's leading members.
Pax Europa does not differentiate between Islam and Islamism on its website - both are accused by the organization of showing offensive disregard and intolerance. In this year's report by Bavaria's Constitution Protection Agency about Stürzenberger and the Bavarian branch of Pax Europa, it was written: "There are factual indications that they seek to achieve constitutionally significant anti-Islamic goals that aim to abolish religious freedom for Muslims." In the 2023 report of the agency, Stürzenberger and the organization no longer appear. The Office for the Protection of the Constitution stated that this is only due to their reduced activity. Both Stürzenberger and the Bavarian branch are still being monitored.
Shortly after the attack, a video of the attack circulated on the internet: A man can be seen attacking people at the demonstration with a knife. Onlookers can be heard exclaiming, "Take the knife away!" The video shows a police officer shooting at the attacker. According to information from the police, the state prosecutor's office, and the criminal investigation department, one shot was fired.
The officer who'd been helping a wounded person escape danger had been stabbed multiple times in the head by the perpetrator from behind. The other five injured participants are members of Pax Europa.
Strobl praised the police's quick response: "Thanks to the brave, courageous, dedicated, and highly professional actions of the police, there are not more injured people." The culprit's identity is currently unknown. Mannheimer Marktplatz, the location of the attack in the 300,000-inhabitant city in northern Baden-Württemberg's center, is now cordoned off with red-white tape. Sight protection screens were set up, a nearby tram station was closed, and a rescue helicopter was in use to treat the wounded. Trace evidence was collected by investigators.
Scholz expressed astonishment at the events: "The images from Mannheim are appalling," he posted on X. "Several people have been seriously injured by an attacker. My sympathies go out to the victims. Violence has no place in our democracy. The perpetrator must face severe punishment."
Steinmeier was outraged: "I strongly condemn the Mannheim attack!" Steinmeier's spokesperson, Cerstin Gammelin, shared on X, "There is no room for violence in our democracy—violence destroys democracy. Freedom of expression is a valuable commodity."
