Mannheim, Germany – On Friday, a man attacked a group opposing “political Islam” in a central square in Mannheim, leaving six people wounded, including a police officer who intervened. Authorities confirmed that police quickly ended the attack by shooting the assailant, who was also injured.
The assailant targeted participants at an event organized by Pax Europa, wounding five members of the organization. In an official statement, police and prosecutors revealed that a police officer was repeatedly stabbed in the head from behind while trying to stop the attack. Another officer then shot the assailant, effectively halting the violence.
Pax Europa, which aims to raise public awareness about the perceived dangers of the “increasing spread and influence of political Islam,” reported that Michael Stürzenberger, a prominent anti-Islam activist and key figure in the organization, was among the injured.
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser stated that the investigation would determine the motive behind the attack. She noted, “If the investigation shows an Islamist motive, that would be another confirmation of the great danger from Islamist acts of violence that we have warned of.”
Thomas Strobl, Faeser’s regional counterpart in Baden-Wuerttemberg, where Mannheim is located, emphasized that the motive of the perpetrator is still unclear.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed his concern on social media, writing, “The pictures from Mannheim are terrible. Violence is absolutely unacceptable in our democracy.”
Mannheim, a city with a population of about 300,000, is situated south of Frankfurt.