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By Daniel Orton
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A driver plowed a car into a union demonstration in central Munich on Thursday, injuring more than two dozen people, including children, in what authorities believe was an attack.
The suspect, a 24-year-old Afghan asylum-seeker, was arrested after police fired a shot at the vehicle.
Why It Matters
The incident is the latest in a string of violent incidents in Germany linked to immigrants in recent months, including a knife attack in Aschaffenburg three weeks ago that left a two-year-old boy and a man dead. In that incident the suspect was an Afghan whose asylum application had been rejected. Similar attacks occurred in Mannheim and Solingen last year, with suspects from Afghanistan and Syria, respectively. In December, a Saudi doctor was arrested for ramming his car into a crowd at a Christmas market in Magdeburg, killing five people.
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The latest incident comes weeks before a crucial election in which immigration has become a central issue, particularly for the conservative opposition and far-right parties pushing for stricter border controls and increased deportations.
What To Know
The demonstration was organized by the service workers' union ver.di, with participants marching through the streets around 10:30 a.m. when the suspect's vehicle overtook a police escort, accelerated, and struck the crowd from behind, police said.
At least 28 people were injured, some seriously. A damaged Mini Cooper was left at the scene along with scattered debris, including shoes. Authorities arrested the suspect immediately after the crash. Bavaria's Deputy Police Chief Christian Huber said the suspect was known to police for theft and drug offenses.
"It is simply terrible," Bavaria governor Markus Söder told reporters at the scene. "We feel with the victims, we are praying for the victims—we hope very much that they all make it."
"It is suspected to be an attack—a lot points to that," Söder added.
The incident comes on the eve of the Munich Security Conference, where U.S. Vice President JD Vance is scheduled to deliver an address and hold talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann stated that authorities do not believe the incident was connected to the conference.
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What People Are Saying
Munich Mayor Dieter Reiter told Newsweek: "I am deeply shocked. My thoughts are with the injured."
In a statement on its website, ver.di said: "Our thoughts are with the innocent victims and injured, and their families...This is a difficult moment for all colleagues. We trade unions stand for solidarity with each other, especially in such a dark hour."
Bavaria governor Markus Söder said: "This is more evidence that we can't go from attack to attack and show dismay, thank police for their deployment...We actually have to change something. This is not the first such act; so, we feel with the people today, but at the same time we are determined that something [must] change in Germany, and quickly."
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party co-leader Alice Weidel said: "Is this supposed to carry on forever? Migration turnaround now!"
In a post on X, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said: "We are shocked by the terrible attack in Munich...The perpetrator must feel the full force of the rule of law."
What Happens Next
The incident has reinforced calls for stricter immigration controls, with Germany's opposition demanding more deportations and tighter border security. AfD, which polls place second behind the conservatives, has made immigration a central campaign issue.
Scholz's government has defended its efforts to curb irregular migration, arguing that opposition proposals would violate German and European Union law.
This article contains reporting by The Associated Press
Update, 2/13/25, 10:41 a.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and AfD co-leader Alice Weidel
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