Knifeman stabs Islam critic in the face in 'terror attack' in Germany
A knifeman stabbed a well-known Islam critic, a police officer and several bystanders at an anti-Islam rally in Germany amid a frenzied attack that was livestreamed on YouTube this morning. The shocking spree unfolded in Mannheim city centre where anti-Islam campaigner Michael Stuerzenberger was speaking at an event of the Citizens' Movement Pax Europa (BPE) - a group that advocates against the 'Islamisation' of Europe.
Chaos broke out at the event when a man dressed in a dark hooded jacket, green shirt and tracksuit bottoms tackled Stuerzenberger to the ground and violently swung a large blade at him, prompting terrified screams from onlookers. Other BPE members sprinted over and tried to drag the knifeman away, but the would-be killer wriggled free and dove on top of the bloodied victim to plunge the weapon in for a second time.
Police descended on the scene almost immediately - but not before the attacker had left two people lying on the floor, blood pooling on the cobblestones. One officer then waded in and jumped on one of the victims. It is unclear whether he was trying to stem the flow of blood, or had misread the situation and mistakenly believed he was collaring the would-be killer. But this gave the bloodthirsty aggressor a chance to circle behind and ram his blade into the policeman's neck.
His colleagues were heard screaming 'throw the knife away!' - but with the knifeman not responding to any orders the officers opened fire from near point blank range and sent him crashing to the ground. German media reported the knifeman died from his gunshot wounds, while his victims were rushed to hospital. The shocking incident was quickly labelled an 'act of terror' by the BPE.
Stefanie Kizina, treasurer of the BPE, told BILD: 'This was not an attack, but an act of terror. The attack happened before the event even started, it must have been planned well in advance. 'Criticism of religion must be allowed, it is a core element of the European Enlightenment!' The horrific attack was captured in its entirety by a cameraman who was livestreaming the event on the BPE's YouTube page. The stream has since been taken down but it concluded with paramedics arriving on scene to administer vital first aid to at least three victims who had collapsed to the floor.
Mannheim Police offered a brief statement online in the wake of the attack but gave no information on the condition of the attacker or his victims. 'There is currently a major police operation on the market square in Mannheim. A rescue helicopter is also in use. No further information can be given at this time,' the statement read. It was evident well before the attack that Stuerzenberger, 59, was aware violence could break out. Speaking at the rally on livestream before he was set upon by his attacker, the activist was heard explaining how the event would 'de-escalate' if there was a prospect things could turn violent.
'We want to first see if we can manage a sensible discussion as always, of course we will de-escalate if it gets heated. There was a staunch Muslim there earlier who was pretty agitated and he shouted, ''you don't belong here you are worse than the AfD''... We still have democracy here, we have freedom we have our basic laws, our values and that is what we have to defend,' he said, referencing the professed desire of some hardline Islamic groups in Germany who have advocated for the introduction of Sharia law in their districts. Islam and immigration have become contentious issues in Germany in recent months, particularly amid the rising popularity of right-wing political entities, primarily the 'Alternative for Germany' (AfD) party. Pictured: Michael Stürzenberger post before stabbing attack in Mannheim.
Germany has been a major destination for refugees, especially since 2015 when Chancellor Angela Merkel - who famously declared in 2017 that Islam was 'not the source of terrorism' - opened the country's borders to over a million asylum seekers. The move was highly divisive, praised by many liberal commentators as a morally just, humanitarian policy but slammed as dangerous and short-sighted by more conservative mouthpieces.
It also fuelled the growth of anti-immigration groups like the BPE, which was founded in 2008, and Pegida, an organisation founded in Dresden in 2014 to protest what its members saw as the failure of government to counter the arrival and influence of Islam in Germany. But the influx of migrants and a rise in the number of incidents involving refugees have triggered more intense debate as of late. The AfD has capitalised on these concerns and made anti-Islam and anti-immigration messages the cornerstone of its campaigns.
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