BERLIN: German police said they shot and wounded a man armed with a knife who attacked a right-wing demonstration in the southwestern city of Mannheim on Friday.
Social media footage showed a bearded man in glasses attacking people in the city’s central Marktplatz square with a knife. One person appears to be stabbed in the leg and a policeman who tries to intervene appears to be cut in the neck. Another policeman then shoots the attacker.
“A firearm was used against the attacker,” Mannheim police said in a statement. A rescue helicopter was in attendance.
No information was available on the identity or motives of the attacker and police said they could not yet give details 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 livestream broadcast from central Mannheim showed anti-Islam activist Michael Stuerzenberger preparing to address a small crowd at an event put on 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 stretch of a European parliament campaign in which the far-right Alternative for Germany party has campaigned partially on what the party says is the danger posed by migration from Muslim countries.
“If investigations show an Islamist motive behind the attack, that would be yet another confirmation of the great danger posed by Islamist violence, which we have been warning about,” Faeser, a Social Democrat, added.
“The attacker must be punished severely,” added Chancellor Olaf Scholz in another post.
Stuerzenberger, 59, who describes himself as an Islam-critical journalist, has been a member of several far-right anti-Islam organizations, including the PEGIDA movement that holds regular marches in cities especially in eastern Germany.
Police said there was no longer any immediate danger to the public.
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German police shoot knifeman who attacked far-right demo
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German police shoot knifeman who attacked far-right demo
- Social media footage showed a bearded man in glasses attacking people in the city’s central Marktplatz square with a knife
- “A firearm was used against the attacker,” Mannheim police said
Chinese, Iranian warships in South Africa for exercises
- China-led exercises near main navy base are also meant to involve Russia
- Drills risk further straining South Africa’s ties with the United States
SIMON’S TOWN, South Africa: Chinese and Iranian warships were docked off South Africa’s main navy base Thursday ahead of exercises that officials said were also meant to involve Russia.
The January 9-16 “Will for Peace” drill hosted by South Africa risks further straining its ties with the United States, which is in dispute with many of the countries taking part.
AFP journalists saw two Chinese ships in Cape Town’s False Bay harbor on Wednesday, joined by an Iranian vessel on Thursday.
South African navy officials said warships from Russia were also expected to take part in the China-led exercises.
The drill was focused on the “safety of shipping and maritime economic activities,” the South African defense force said in December when it announced the maneuvers.
It was intended to “deepen cooperation in support of peaceful maritime security initiatives,” it said.
The statement said the exercise would involve navies from BRICS countries.
BRICS, originally made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, has expanded to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and, more recently, Indonesia.
The joint drills — previously known as Exercise Mosi — were initially scheduled for November 2025 but were postponed due to a clash with the G20 summit in Johannesburg.
South Africa’s Democratic Alliance (DA), a member of the ruling unity government, said parliament had not been “properly briefed” on the drills, including cost, command structure and diplomatic consequences.
“South Africa’s defense and foreign policy must be transparent, constitutional, and principled and certainly not being quietly reshaped through military exercises that contradict our stated neutrality and damage our standing in the world,” DA spokesperson on defense, Chris Hattingh, said in a statement.
The center-right party — which joined government after the African National Congress lost its majority in 2024 due to voter disillusionment with corruption and mismanagement — vowed to demand full transparency in parliament.
President Donald Trump has accused countries in the BRICS group of emerging nations of “anti-American” policies.
South Africa has drawn US criticism for its close ties with Russia and a range of other policies, including its decision to bring a genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice over the Gaza war.
South Africa’s military was criticized for hosting naval exercises with Russia and China in 2023 that coincided with the one-year anniversary of the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine.
The three countries first conducted joint naval drills in 2019.
The January 9-16 “Will for Peace” drill hosted by South Africa risks further straining its ties with the United States, which is in dispute with many of the countries taking part.
AFP journalists saw two Chinese ships in Cape Town’s False Bay harbor on Wednesday, joined by an Iranian vessel on Thursday.
South African navy officials said warships from Russia were also expected to take part in the China-led exercises.
The drill was focused on the “safety of shipping and maritime economic activities,” the South African defense force said in December when it announced the maneuvers.
It was intended to “deepen cooperation in support of peaceful maritime security initiatives,” it said.
The statement said the exercise would involve navies from BRICS countries.
BRICS, originally made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, has expanded to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and, more recently, Indonesia.
The joint drills — previously known as Exercise Mosi — were initially scheduled for November 2025 but were postponed due to a clash with the G20 summit in Johannesburg.
South Africa’s Democratic Alliance (DA), a member of the ruling unity government, said parliament had not been “properly briefed” on the drills, including cost, command structure and diplomatic consequences.
“South Africa’s defense and foreign policy must be transparent, constitutional, and principled and certainly not being quietly reshaped through military exercises that contradict our stated neutrality and damage our standing in the world,” DA spokesperson on defense, Chris Hattingh, said in a statement.
The center-right party — which joined government after the African National Congress lost its majority in 2024 due to voter disillusionment with corruption and mismanagement — vowed to demand full transparency in parliament.
President Donald Trump has accused countries in the BRICS group of emerging nations of “anti-American” policies.
South Africa has drawn US criticism for its close ties with Russia and a range of other policies, including its decision to bring a genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice over the Gaza war.
South Africa’s military was criticized for hosting naval exercises with Russia and China in 2023 that coincided with the one-year anniversary of the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine.
The three countries first conducted joint naval drills in 2019.
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