At an anti-Islamic gathering in Germany this morning, a knife-wielding man attacked an Islamic critic, a police officer, and multiple bystanders before being gunned down by police.
Live images of the horrendous situation are trending online and can be seen below.
The incident occurred in the heart of Mannheim where anti-Islam activist Michael Stuerzenberger was addressing a crowd organized by the Citizens’ Movement Pax Europa (BPE), a group opposed to the alleged covert plan for the “Islamization” of Europe.
Act Of Terror
Chaos erupted when the man in a green shirt and a dark hooded jacket tackled Stuerzenberger to the ground and repeatedly swung a large blade at him. Other BPE members rushed to intervene, but the attacker broke free and continued his assault, stabbing Stuerzenberger a second time.
Police arrived immediately, but not before the knifeman had injured two more persons, leaving them bleeding on the ground. In a moment of confusion, an officer appeared to tackle one of the victims, possibly in an attempt to provide aid, which allowed the attacker to stab the officer in the neck.
Despite commands to drop the weapon, the attacker did not heed it. The officers then shoot him at close range. He died instantly from gunshot wounds. His victims rushed to the hospital.
The BPE quickly put out a statement labeling the attack an “act of terror.” It’s not clear if the attack was premeditated or spontaneous.
The incident, fully captured by a cameraman livestreaming the event, showed the bespectacled and bearded attacker wielding a large blade.
Stefanie Kizina, BPE’s treasurer, said, “This was not an attack, but an act of terror. The attack happened before the event started; it must have been planned well in advance. Criticism of religion must be allowed; it is a core element of the European Enlightenment!“
Mannheim Police made a brief statement regarding the incident but gave no further updates on the victims’ conditions.
Islam On The Rise
Stuerzenberger, aware of potential violence, had addressed the rally earlier, emphasizing the need to de-escalate if tensions rose. He has been assaulted at previous rallies, including an incident in 2022 when he was punched by an enraged Muslim in Bonn – the Cold War-era capital of then-West Germany.
The issue of the immigration of Muslims into Germany has been a contention since 2015 when Chancellor Angela Merkel opened the country’s borders to over a million asylum seekers.
Germans fear the rise of Islam in their predominantly Christian, if not Lutheran, country.
But Islam is now the second-largest religion in the country due to a high Muslim population birth rate and Muslim immigration.
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