Several people were injured in the German market square
DPA via APPolice said a man used a knife to attack many people at a market in the city of Mannheim, southwest Germany.
According to his team, one of the injured was anti-Islam activist Michael Stürzenberger, who was preparing to organize a demonstration in the square.
The incident was captured on a YouTube livestream and showed the attacker stabbing a man, after which a police officer came to help. This officer is in critical condition.
The attacker was shot and injured by another police officer.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz described the incident as “horrible” and his thoughts were with the victims.
“Violence is completely unacceptable in our democracy,” he posted on X. The perpetrator must be severely punished.”
Mannheim police tweeted about a “major police operation” in the city’s market square and a rescue helicopter was dispatched to the scene.
Police said in a subsequent statement that one person attacked several others with a knife, injuring them, at 11:35 (10:35 BST).
A gun was then used against the attacker, it added.
The attack is said to have occurred at the same time as a protest in the market square organized by far-right anti-Muslim activist Michael Stürzenberger and his organization Pax Europa Citizens’ Movement (BPE).
A spokesperson for the city of Mannheim confirmed that the organization had booked an event in the market square for Friday morning.
BPE confirmed to Bild newspaper that Mr. Stürzenberger was attacked in the legs and face.
His colleague Stefanie Kizina told the newspaper that Mr. Stürzenberger had to undergo surgery, but his life was not in danger.
“The attack happened before the event started, it was definitely planned in advance,” she said.
Police have not released any further information about those injured in the attack.
According to DPA, a police officer is in critical condition and will require emergency surgery.
DPA via APLive video from the event shows a man using a knife to attack another person. At least one person was seen with a leg wound.
Several bystanders were seen struggling with the attacker, who later broke free and stabbed a police officer in the back.
Several policemen holding guns then surrounded him before he fell to the ground.
beautiful imagesWho is Michael Stürzenberger?
According to Bild, Michael Stürzenberger is the author of an Islamophobic blog and a member of BPE, an organization that says it opposes “Islamization” in Germany.
The 58-year-old is one of the authors of the anti-Islam platform PI-News and is being monitored by Bavaria’s domestic intelligence agency.
A former politician, Mr. Stürzenberger once led the small right-wing populist party Die Freiheit, which was dissolved in 2016.
Previously, he was a member of the Christian Social Union (CSU) – the Bavarian sister party of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) – but left before being kicked out of the party.
