A stabbing attack at an anti-Islam rally in the western German city of Mannheim on Friday left the event's speaker and a police officer injured, authorities said.
The incident occurred around 11:35 a.m. local time when a man rushed the stage and stabbed Michael Stürzenberger, a prominent German critic of Islam who was speaking at the rally organized by the anti-Islamic group Pax Europa.
According to police spokeswoman Dileen Mohr, after stabbing Stürzenberger, the attacker fled and stabbed a police officer in the back before being shot by another officer. The suspect's condition was not immediately known.
Islam critics stabbed in Mannheim, Germany, by crazed
Muslim migrant.Police were also stabbed. pic.twitter.com/TrQGp9JSfd
— Tommy Robinson 🇬🇧 (@TRobinsonNewEra) May 31, 2024
Emergency crews transported Stürzenberger and the injured officer to nearby hospitals. The severity of their injuries has not been released. Police said there was no further threat to the public.
Stürzenberger, 58, is a controversial far-right activist who has been convicted in the past for insulting police and inciting hatred against Islam. He rose to prominence in 2007 after leading protests against the construction of a mosque in Munich.
The motive behind Friday's attack remains under investigation, but it quickly drew condemnation from German leaders across the political spectrum who cited the importance of tolerating divergent views in a free democratic society.
