A man attacked several people with a knife in the city of Mannheim in southwestern Germany on Friday morning, police said, with an anti-Islam activist reported among the victims.
Disturbing video footage of the incidentāwhich was broadcast live on YouTubeāappears to show the man slashing at several people with the blade, including a police officer, before being shot by an armed cop. Local authorities said the attack took place at around 11:35 a.m. in the market square.
āOne person is said to have attacked several people with a knife and injured them,ā police said in a statement. āNo information can be given yet about the extent and severity of the injuries. A firearm was then used against the attacker. The attacker was also injured as a result.ā
According to the local Mannheimer Morgen newspaper, a police spokesperson at the scene described the wounded officerās injuries as severe. The outlet also reported that an āanti-Islam rally took place on the market squareā on the morning of the attack, though said it hasnāt yet been confirmed if the rampage was connected with the event.
The Citizensā Movement Pax Europa (BPE), a group which describes itself as being committed to informing the public about āthe existential threatsā posed to European countries by āpolitical Islam,ā said Michael StĆ¼rzenberger and several BPE āhelpersā were stabbed during its rally.
The organization cited eyewitness reports in claiming that StĆ¼rzenbergerāa well-known right-wing activist and critic of Islamāhad āsuffered severe stab wounds to his face and legā and was receiving medical attention. A colleague of StĆ¼rzenberger told Bild he is āundergoing emergency surgeryā and his ālife is apparently not in danger.ā
Police said a rescue helicopter was deployed in response to the incident, adding that there was no ongoing danger to the public.
