Rouven L.'s name mentioned - Mannheim remembers fallen police officer and fears increasing demonstrations.
A young police officer, with tears streaming down her cheeks, stands among her colleagues; a man kneels weeping near the sea of flowers at the Mannheim marketplace. Internet videos reveal the unsettling effects of the lethal knife attack in Mannheim, not only in the city but also beyond. 29-year-old police officer Rouven L. succumbed to his injuries after the attack on Friday. Five other men were wounded when a 25-year-old Afghan used a knife to target participants of a protest by the Islam-critical group Pax Europa (BPE). The violent assault has sparked debates about tighter deportations and fears of escalating conflicts at future demonstrations in the city.
On this particular Friday, a week after the event, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will pay tribute to Rouven L. in Mannheim. Baden-Württemberg police officers have requested a moment of silence at 11:34 am, the time of the lethal attack, and Steinmeier will also lay a wreath at the scene. Baden-Württemberg's Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann (Greens) and Interior Minister Thomas Strobel (CDU) will also be in attendance. The state government has urged employees of the ministries, schools, and parliament to participate in the moment of silence.
The AfD has announced a protest at 6:30 pm on Friday against Islamism on the marketplace. Simultaneously, an anti-fascist protest is planned. On Tuesday, the city had temporarily prohibited events such as demonstrations on the marketplace. It designated the square as the place of remembrance until June 16. The AfD appealed against this decision - the Karlsruhe Administrative Court granted their emergency application on Thursday. The city then appealed against this. The Administrative Court of Baden-Württemberg now has to come to a decision. The city intends to host the AfD demonstration on the nearby Paradeplatz.
"We want to demonstrate two days before the European election precisely where Islamist terror has taken place to send a clear political signal throughout the republic," AfD state chairman Markus Frohnmaier expressed.
Elected officials expressed concerns about the planned protests on Friday. After Sunday's heated confrontations on the marketplace, an inter-party coalition had called for a vigil against violence and hatred. At the same time, a gathering of the youth organization of the AfD took place on the marketplace with the slogan "Remigration would have prevented this act!". Videos online show demonstrators forming a long human chain and clashing with a group of Antifa activists as they waved red flags and lit firecrackers. The activists shouted "Nazis out."
Five men injured from the attack are still dealing with the repercussions a week later.
Stefanie Kizina, treasurer for Pax Europa, shared concerns for the well-being of the five injured victims from last Friday. "We're all still in shock," she explained. "People are pulling themselves together, they have to process it first. (...) We've always lived with the risk, but somehow we've always thought it wouldn't happen, it wouldn't be so bad." One of the wounded, Michael Stuerzenberger, a 59-year-old member of the movement, had to return to the hospital due to his significant blood loss. Stuerzenberger will be out of commission for four to eight weeks.
The movement plans to devote more resources to ensuring the safety of its members. Kizina said, "There will be no more events without protective barriers. The police officers are now paying more attention to us."
Chairman of the German Police Union, Ralf Kusterer, has been touched by the immense support that has manifested following Rouven L.'s death. Although a week has passed since the attack, Kusterer acknowledges that disappointment and frustration towards the government remain prevalent. "People are, of course, also disappointed," he stated about the mood among police officers. "The frustration towards politics is enormous."
A Mannheim Police spokesperson declined to comment on the well-being of the officers involved in the incident. On Tuesday, the President of the Mannheim Police Headquarters, Ulrike Schafer, had reported, "Those who had worked with L. and were at the tragic event are currently receiving psychological care."
Criminal and police psychologist Ursula Gasch spoke to the "Mannheimer Morgen" about the impact of events like the recent knife attack resulting in a fatality. She emphasized the importance of the "police culture" that is sometimes misconstrued but is actually quite positive. This close bond echoes the life-saving attitude prevalent in the profession when dealing with manageable danger situations. Thus, the attack on a police officer is seen as a direct attack on every police officer, no matter where they are.
This occurrence has ignited a heated argument about stricter deportations. Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) wants to allow serious criminals to be sent back to Afghanistan and Syria. "These criminals should be deported - even if they're from Syria and Afghanistan," stated the SPD politician in the Bundestag on Thursday. "Serious criminals and terrorist threats haven't lost anything here."
The specifics of how Scholz plans to accomplish this are still unclear. The Federal Interior Ministry is currently working on the practical application of this policy and has already initiated discussions with the neighboring countries of Afghanistan.
Read also:
- The planned AfD protest in Mannheim on Friday, against Islamism at the same location as the previous attack, has sparked concerns among elected officials, following the violent clashes between AfD demonstrators and Antifa activists last week.
- The knife attack in Mannheim has led to discussions about the potential for tighter deportations, with Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz suggesting that serious criminals from Afghanistan and Syria should be sent back, despite opposition from various parties.
- In response to the increase in demonstrations and potential violence in Mannheim, the city has temporarily prohibited events such as demonstrations on the marketplace and designated the square as a place of remembrance until June 16, with the AfD appealing against this decision in court.
