BERLIN – A 29-year-old police officer succumbed to his injuries on Sunday after being repeatedly stabbed during an attack at an anti-Islam rally in Mannheim, southwest Germany. The officer was fatally wounded while attempting to intervene in a violent incident at a rally organized by Pax Europa, a campaign group opposing Islam.
The tragic event unfolded on Friday when a knife-wielding assailant attacked participants in the rally held at the city’s market square. Five individuals were injured during the assault, with the police officer sustaining severe stab wounds to the head. Despite undergoing emergency surgery and being placed in an artificial coma, the officer passed away two days later.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed his profound sorrow over the officer’s death. “His commitment to the safety of all of us deserves the highest recognition,” Scholz stated on X, formerly known as Twitter. Finance Minister Christian Lindner, speaking to the German newspaper Bild, voiced his deep emotional response to the incident. “The death of the police officer moves me deeply and makes me angry about what is happening in our country. We must defend ourselves against Islamist terrorism with determination, and we will also strengthen the security authorities financially,” Lindner asserted.
Interior Minister Nancy Faeser emphasized the necessity of a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the attack. “If the investigations reveal an Islamist motive, this would be a further confirmation of the great danger posed by Islamist acts of violence,” Faeser noted in a statement on Friday.
The attack has heightened concerns over Islamist terrorism in Germany and sparked calls for increased support and funding for security forces. The incident underscores the ongoing challenges faced by law enforcement in ensuring public safety amid growing threats of extremist violence.