Vigil held following knife attack in Mannheim - law enforcement probes

instance of aggression - Vigil held following knife attack in Mannheim - law enforcement probes

Residents of Mannheim have planned a vigil in response to last Friday's knife attack that injured seven people in the city square. This event, organized by a non-partisan alliance, will occur on Sunday and is centered around the theme "Solidarity against violence, hatred, and hate speech." Green city councilor Gerhard Fontagnier shared with the "Mannheimer Morgen" that they aim to hold a peaceful assembly without slogans or flags.

Participants in the vigil come from a wide range of political affiliations represented in the city council, the organizers stated.

A vigil organized by the Young Alternative Baden-Württemberg, the youth group of the AfD, will also be held in the afternoon at the market square. The spokesperson for the city administration confirmed that a submitted application for this event had been accepted.

Investigators are currently seeking more information on the suspect's motives and crime planning. The 25-year-old perpetrator, who holds Afghan origins but has resided in Germany since he was 15, has not been questioned yet due to his own injuries sustained during the attack. He has been charged with attempted murder, as revealed by the Karlsruhe Public Prosecutor's Office and the Baden-Württemberg Criminal Investigation Office. As it stands, the individual had no prior interactions with the police. He is married with two children and resides in Heppenheim, Hesse.

During the incident, the man stabbed six individuals in the city center at an event hosted by the Islam-critical organization Pax Europa (BPE). A police officer sustained severe injuries and currently remains in critical condition.

Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser and Baden-Württemberg State Interior Minister Thomas Strobl made statements emphasizing that those celebrating the knife attack will face legal repercussions. Faeser considered such behavior "disgraceful and contemptible," while Strobl stated "crimes, particularly murder crimes, will be prosecuted with the maximum legal force."

Austrian Federal Chancellor Karl Nehammer added his voice to the condemnation, expressing that the images of the knife attack are a sad reminder of where extremism can lead. "We will never accept violence, regardless of its ideological origin—be it from the left, the right, or the Islamist environment," he told "Bild am Sonntag."

One of the injured is Michael Stürzenberger, a BPE board member. He discussed the assault in a video interview from his hospital bed. The 59-year-old, born in Munich and actively involved in Islam criticism, has been under observation by the Bavarian Constitution Protection. Treasurer Stefanie Kizina believed that the police would increase security measures at future BPE events. Stürzenberger himself told the right-leaning news outlet that police aided his initial treatment after sustaining facial injuries and a wound on his thigh.

Stürzenberger criticized the event organizers for not making necessary security provisions and implied his organization would continue attending public events.

Video interview with Michael Stürzenberger https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-4qb0gQYnI

Read also:

1. Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser expressed her disapproval of those celebrating the knife attack, labeling their actions as "disgraceful and contemptible."
2. The perpetrator of the knife attack, a 25-year-old man with Afghan origins who has resided in Germany since the age of 15, is currently under investigation by the Baden-Württemberg Criminal Investigation Office and the Karlsruhe Public Prosecutor's Office for attempted murder.
3. The suspect in the knife attack had no prior interactions with the police and is currently recovering from his own injuries.
4. Thomas Strobl, Baden-Württemberg State Interior Minister, also voiced his opposition to celebrating the knife attack, promising that such crimes would be prosecuted with the full force of the law.
5. Participants in the Sunday vigil in Mannheim, organized in response to the knife attack, represent a diverse range of political affiliations, including the Green party and the Young Alternative Baden-Württemberg, the youth group of the AfD.
6. The AfD youth group will also be holding a vigil in Mannheim on Sunday in the marketplace.
7. The knife attack occurred last Friday, injuring seven people, including six individuals in the city center at an event hosted by the Islam-critical organization Pax Europa (BPE).
8. Austrian Federal Chancellor Karl Nehammer condemned the knife attack, expressing his hope that such acts of extremism would not be tolerated in Europe.
9. The treasurer of the BPE, Stefanie Kizina, believes that increased security measures will be implemented at future BPE events following the knife attack.

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