Radical Ideologies - The mayor of Mannheim directs that the town hall displays flags in mourning.
The mayor of Mannheim, Christian Specht, has raised a flag of mourning at the city hall in honor of a local police officer who passed away following a stabbing incident. "The whole city mourns alongside the family and friends of this young officer, who fought hard for his recovery. Now, with the unfortunate news of his demise, I'm devastated," Specht commented Sunday evening. The officer had placed himself in a prominent location during a demonstration last week to ensure the safety and basic rights of everyone.
"This killing is a powerful reminder of the potential damage caused by hatred and discriminatory language," Specht stated further. He also pleaded with citizens: "I call upon all of you: At this difficult time, let us stop and unite our multicultural community to avoid any divisions in our city."
Friday saw a 29-year-old police officer brutally attacked with a knife on Mannheim's market square. By Sunday afternoon, he had succumbed to his injuries. The motivations of the 25-year-old attacker, a man from Afghanistan who came to Germany in 2014, remain unknown. As he was also wounded during the incident, he's not been able to provide a statement on his reasons for the assault.
