Protests take place. - The AfD holds a protest against Islamism, featuring a counter-event.
Several hundred individuals gathered at an AfD event in Mannheim to protest against Islamism. Approximately 700 people joined the rally, which was registered following a deadly knife attack that took place on the market square the previous Friday. Many speakers urged that "knife violence" should not become customary in Germany. They described political Islam as the biggest threat to our security. During the event, German flags, as well as banners with messages like "Remigration now" and "Make the borders tight," were noticeable. The rally commenced with a moment of silence for Officer Rouven Laur, who succumbed to his injuries from the knife attack the previous Sunday.
Police estimated that approximately 3,300 individuals demonstrated against the AfD rally. Some had come from a protest on the Old Market Square to the Parade Square. Both sides shouted chants, with the AfD supporters chanting "AfD, AfD," while the counter-demonstrators chanted, "Nazis out." The police maintained a strong presence to keep the demonstrators separate.
Initially, the AfD had planned to demonstrate on the market square, but the Administrative Court of Baden-Württemberg upheld a dispute filed by the city of Mannheim against the Administrative Court of Karlsruhe's decision to approve an AfD rally at the crime scene. Therefore, the party had to relocate the event to the Parade Square.
On May 31st, a 25-year-old Afghan man injured five rally participants and police officers of the Islam-critical group Pax Europa with a knife on the market square. This attack resulted in the death of the 29-year-old officer from his wounds the following day.
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- Despite the relocation of the AfD rally to the Parade Square due to legal reasons, protests against their event continued in Baden-Württemberg, with intentions to express opposition to their perceived extremist views.
- The counter-demonstrations in Mannheim, which included individuals from a previous protest on the Old Market Square, saw banners displaying messages like "Remigration now" and "Make the borders tight," evoking controversy and sparking further debates about immigration policies in Germany.
- Police in Mannheim, aware of the potential for tensions between the peaceful AfD rally and the counter-demonstrations, maintained a strong presence and worked diligently to ensure that both sides remained separated, preventing any escalation of the events that might occur as a result of the Counter-event.
- The AfD rally in Mannheim comes after a series of tragic events related to Islamism, including a knife attack in Mannheim that resulted in the death of a police officer and injuries to several participants and officers at a counter-event against Political Islam.
- Following the violent incident in Mannheim, the escalating issue of extremism and Islamism in Germany has placed new focus on the role of political parties, like the AfD, and how they contribute to or challenge the country's social cohesion and security.
