Explained
The Munich incident occurred during the election campaign in which immigration and security were prominent questions.
Car Sent to the demonstrators In Munich, on Thursday, he injured at least 28 people in what the local official described as a suspicious attack. The incident happened for hours before the world leaders arrived in the city of South German at an annual safety conference in Munich, which should be open on Friday.
Here’s what we know about the incident, suspected – and how it could be political when Germany prepares for the closely challenged federal elections on February 2nd.
What happened in Munich?
- A 24-year-old man took a white mini cooper in a crowd of demonstrants near the Munich Central Railway Station, injuring at least 30 people, including children.
- The incident occurred at 10:30 (09:30 GMT) during the union protest, with about 1,500 participants who attended.
- Employees from daily centers, hospitals, sanitary services and public pools participated in the strike, demanding higher salaries and extended rest time.
- According to the police, the car was adopted by a police cruiser who was monitored by demonstrations before pulling into the crowd.
- Authorities also announced that the incident was probably an attack, adding that the police had shot a suspect’s vehicle after accelerating and hit people. It was unclear if the suspect was wounded.
Ein Furchtbarer Anschlag in Munich Erschüttertu Uns. Ein Afganischer täter ist in eine demonstration of gerast. Es Gibt Viele Verletzte, Einige Sehr Schwer Verletzt. Unsere Gedanken Sind Bei Den Opfern und ihren Angehörigen. Der Täter Muss Die love Härte des Rechtsstaats spüren.
– Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz (@bundeskanzler) February 13, 2025
Translation: We are shaken by a terrible attack in Munich, “said German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in the post on X.” Our thoughts are with victims and their families. The perpetrator must feel the full force of the rule of law. “
Where did it happen?
- The incident occurred at the intersection of Karlstrasse and Seidlstrasse, near Munich Hauptbahnhof (Central Railway) in the city.
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The location is about a mile (1.5 kilometers) from the place where the Safety Conference in Munich will be held on Friday. The Ukrainian President Volodimyr Zelenskyy, Vice President of the United States of JD Vance and other world leaders, senior diplomats and journalists, are expected to be attended by Ukrainian President Volodimyr Zelenskyy.
What do we know about those who are injured?
- German police reported that at least 30 people had been injured.
- The local fire department stated that some victims are in a critical, life -threatening condition. Authorities have confirmed that the children are among the injured.
What do we know about the suspect?
The suspect was identified as a 24-year-old Farhad N, an Afghan asylum who arrived in Germany in 2016 as a minor unattended, at the age of 15. Al Jazeera does not fully appoint a suspected of German privacy laws.
- According to the authorities, its application of asylum was rejected, but its deportation was suspended for instability in Afghanistan.
- According to the police, the suspect was previously known to thefts for theft and drugs.
- The Bavarian Central Office for Extremism and Terrorism has taken over an investigation over the indication that the suspect has an “extremist background”.
What is the political context?
The attack comes at a political sensitive time, a few days before the federal elections of Germany, February 2, and a conference on security in Munich.
Authorities do not believe that this incident is associated with a security conference.
The incident has taken over the discussions on immigration and public security, central questions in campaigns for the upcoming elections, with political parties responding to it:
- Conservative Party (CDU) – The head of the Christian Democratic Union party, Friedrich Merz, required a change. “We will consistently enforce the law and order. Everyone has to feel safe in our country again. Something has to change in Germany, “he said on X.
- Merz accused the Chancellor of Social Democrat Olaf Scholz of being soft in immigration. Merz and CDU have recently broken with the age of tabua Working from the extremely right alternative to Germany (AFD) to federate with them at the proposal of the Immigration Act that Parliament ultimately rejected.
- The ruling coalition led by the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and Green It faces pressure to increase safety and justify immigration policies.
- Recent memory of a attack on cars In December, he lingers, when a man of Saudi Arabia entered the Christmas market in Magdeburg, central Germany, injuring up to 300 people and killing six.
- Extremely right AfDWhat it received on the polling station, expresses its anti -immigration attitude. “Will it continue like that forever? Change of migration now!” Alice Weidel, candidate party for chancellor, wrote on x.
- Rhetoric against immigration is at the center of AFD politics, and his concern seems to be increasingly finding a resonance with a wide German public.
- In a study conducted in At the end of January, 68 percent of respondents said he believed Germany should reduce the number of refugees he accepted. Similarly, in December poll, 75 percent of respondents said that the Government underwent insufficiently regulates the entry of migrants.
What happens next?
- An investigation that is ongoing: Authorities examine the background of the suspect, internet activity and potential “extremist” connections.
- Increased security: As she approached the safety conference in Munich, police intensified security throughout the city, and according to reports, at least 5,000 police officers are on office this weekend.
- Political Effects: The incident could further tighten the antimigrant rhetoric ahead of the election, leaving the current central leadership of the country in defense.
