The attack, this Friday in Mannheim, Germany, mainly targeted a personality known for his anti-Islam activism, Michael Stürzenberger. He was to speak at a rally organized by the citizen movement Pax Europa.
A man armed with a knife “seriously injured” several people on Friday May 31 in Mannheim, Germany, said Chancellor Olaf Scholz, referring to “an attack”. According to several German media, a far-right activist and blogger, known for his anti-Islam positions, who was preparing to speak at a political meeting of his movement in the city and a police officer are among the injured. The police shot the attacker, who was also injured. The events occurred around 11:30 a.m.
The attack occurred during a far-right demonstration. The citizen movement Pax Europa organized a rally against “political Islam”. A far-right and anti-Islam activist, Michael Stürzenberger, who was to speak at this event, was injured. The other injured are members of Pax Europa and a police officer who tried to stop the attacker, according to the movement.
Shock actions
This political movement intends to denounce “the dangers of the influence of political Islam on democratic societies in Germany and Europe”. It was created in 2008 from the merger of two previous groups, the Federal Association of Citizens’ Movements created in 2003 and Pax Europa created in 2006. The group describes itself as a “human rights organization” which defends “freedom and democracy” against “Islamization”. The BPE is particularly committed to opposing the construction of new mosques in Germany. A poster campaign by the citizen movement Pax Europa caused a sensation in 2009 in Bonn and Cologne, where quotes from the Koran inciting violence were displayed on billboards and German citizens were invited to read them for themselves the Koran.