German police shoot dead man who attacked far-right demonstration with knife – The Irish Times

German police said they shot and wounded a man armed with a knife who attacked a far-right demonstration in the southwestern city of Mannheim on Friday.

Social media videos show a bearded man with glasses attacking people with a knife in the city’s central market square. One person appears to be stabbed in the leg and a police officer who tries to intervene appears to suffer a cut in the neck. Another police officer shoots the attacker dead.

“A firearm was used against the attacker,” said a statement from the Mannheim police. A rescue helicopter was deployed.

There is no information about the identity or motives of the attacker and the police said they could not yet provide any information about any injuries among the demonstrators in the square.

“My thoughts are especially with the seriously injured police officer,” said Interior Minister Nancy Faeser in a social media post.

A live stream from downtown Mannheim showed anti-Islam activist Michael Stürzenberger preparing to speak to a small crowd at an event organized by the anti-Islam Pax Europa movement.

The footage bore a watermark linked to the movement’s Open Eyes tour.

The violence comes in the final phase of a campaign for the European elections, in which the far-right Alternative for Germany (Alternative for Germany) party is campaigning, among other things, on the claim that migration from Muslim countries is dangerous.

“If the investigations reveal that there is an Islamist motive behind the attack, that would be further confirmation of the great danger of Islamist violence that we are warning about,” added Social Democrat Faeser.

“The attacker must be severely punished,” added Chancellor Olaf Scholz in another post.

Mr Stürzenberger (59), who describes himself as an Islam-critical journalist, was a member of several right-wing extremist, Islamophobic organizations, including the PEGIDA movement, which regularly organizes demonstration marches in cities, especially in East Germany.

According to police, there is no longer any immediate danger to the population. – Reuters

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