Germany knife attack: Assailant stabs well-known Islam critic in the face in 'terror' incident at anti-political Islam rally, then wounds other bystanders and a cop before being shot dead by police

A knifeman stabbed a well-known Islam critic, a police officer and several bystanders at an anti-Islam rally in Germany amid a frenzied attack that was livestreamed on YouTube this morning. 

The shocking spree unfolded in Mannheim city centre where anti-Islam campaigner Michael Stuerzenberger was speaking at an event of the Citizens' Movement Pax Europa (BPE) - a group that advocates against the 'Islamisation' of Europe. 

Chaos broke out at the event when a man dressed in a dark hooded jacket, green shirt and tracksuit bottoms tackled Stuerzenberger to the ground and violently swung a large blade at him, prompting terrified screams from onlookers.

Other BPE members sprinted over and tried to drag the knifeman away, but the would-be killer wriggled free and dove on top of the bloodied victim to plunge the weapon in for a second time. 

Police descended on the scene almost immediately - but not before the attacker had left two people lying on the floor, blood pooling on the cobblestones. 

One officer then made a potentially fatal mistake. 

Amid the confusion, he waded in and jumped on one of the victims, seemingly having mistaken him for the aggressor.

This misread of the situation gave the bloodthirsty attacker a chance to circle behind and ram his blade into the policeman's neck. 

Chaos broke out at the event when a man dressed in a dark hooded jacket and tracksuit tackled a BPE member to the ground and began violently swinging a large blade at him

The bespectacled and bearded attacker is clearly seen holding a blade several inches long

The shocking spree unfolded in the city of Mannheim where anti-Islamist campaigner Michael Stuerzenberger was speaking at an event of the Citizens' Movement Pax Europa (BPE). Stuerzenberger is seen in an Instagram post linking to the YouTube livestream moments before the attack

The man believed to be Stuerzenberger (right) tumbles to the ground following the initial attack as other BPE members push the knifeman away

But the attacker broke free and turned his blade on other bystanders, including a police officer

Blood smears are seen on the floor as the knifeman rounds on another victim

The savage blade is clearly seen in this grab from the YouTube live stream

His colleagues were heard screaming 'throw the knife away!' - but with the knifeman not responding to any orders the officers opened fire from near point blank range and sent him crashing to the ground. 

German media reported the knifeman died from his gunshot wounds, while his victims were rushed to hospital. 

The shocking incident was quickly labelled a terror attack by the BPE. 

Stefanie Kizina, treasurer of the BPE, told BILD: 'This was not an attack, but an act of terror. The attack happened before the event even started, it must have been planned well in advance. 

'Criticism of religion must be allowed, it is a core element of the European Enlightenment!'

The horrific attack was captured in its entirety by a cameraman who was livestreaming the event on the BPE's YouTube page.

The stream was quickly taken down but it concluded with paramedics arriving on scene to administer vital first aid to at least three victims who had collapsed to the floor. 

Mannheim Police offered a brief statement online in the wake of the attack but gave no information on the condition of the victims.

'There is currently a major police operation on the market square in Mannheim. A rescue helicopter is also in use. No further information can be given at this time,' the statement read.  

Forensic investigators are deployed to the scene in Mannheim market square

The aftermath of the stabbing is seen in Mannheim

The knifeman did not respond to officers' orders and was shot at near point-blank range

It was evident well before the attack that Stuerzenberger, 59, was aware violence could break out. 

Speaking at the rally on livestream before he was set upon by his attacker, the activist was heard explaining how the event would 'de-escalate' if there was a prospect things could turn violent.

Stuerzenberger been assaulted at previous rallies, most notably in 2022 when he was punched in the face by an enraged Muslim in the city of Bonn. 

'We want to first see if we can manage a sensible discussion as always, of course we will de-escalate if it gets heated.

'There was a staunch Muslim there earlier who was pretty agitated and he shouted, ''you don't belong here you are worse than the AfD''... 

'We still have democracy here, we have freedom we have our basic laws, our values and that is what we have to defend,' he said, referencing the professed desire of some hardline Islamic groups in Germany who have advocated for the introduction of Sharia law in their districts.

Islam and immigration have become contentious issues in Germany in recent months, particularly amid the rising popularity of right-wing political entities, primarily the 'Alternative for Germany' (AfD) party.

Bystanders attempt to drag the knifeman away. One of his victims is seen with wounds to his thigh 

A bystander attends to one of the knifeman's victims

Police officers flooded the scene checking on the victims and the attacker who was shot and collapsed to the ground

Debris is seen piled around the scene of the crime

View of the crime scene after a knife attack in the city centre in Mannheim, Germany, 31 May 2024

Germany has been a major destination for refugees, especially since 2015 when Chancellor Angela Merkel - who famously declared in 2017 that Islam was 'not the source of terrorism' - opened the country's borders to over a million asylum seekers. 

The move was highly divisive, praised by many liberal commentators as a morally just, humanitarian policy but slammed as dangerous and short-sighted by more conservative mouthpieces. 

It also fuelled the growth of anti-immigration groups like the BPE, which was founded in 2008, and Pegida, an organisation founded in Dresden in 2014 to protest what its members saw as the failure of government to counter the arrival and influence of Islam in Germany.

But the influx of migrants and a rise in the number of incidents involving refugees have triggered more intense debate as of late.

The AfD has capitalised on these concerns and made anti-Islam and anti-immigration messages the cornerstone of its campaigns. 

In 2017, the party's founder, Alexander Gauland, explicitly vowed to fight an 'invasion of foreigners' and was lambasted by more centrist and leftist commentators. 

But the party's popularity has grown rapidly - the AfD enjoyed significant success in Germany's state elections in October, winning its biggest-ever share of votes in the powerful state of Hesse and gaining a significant portion of votes in Bavaria.

View of the crime scene after a knife attack in the city centre in Mannheim, Germany, 31 May 2024. According to the police, a man attacked a well-known critic of Islam in the centre of Mannheim

View of the crime scene after a knife attack in the city centre in Mannheim, Germany, 31 May 2024

Islam is currently the second largest religion in Germany after Christianity, with between 3 million and 4.7 million adherents according to most estimates. 

In 2017, Pew Research Centre predicted that as much as  20 per cent of the population in Germany could be Muslim by 2050 if immigration continues apace.

Changing demographics and the introduction of new values has been a source of anxiety for some living in Germany. A study by the Criminal Research Institute of Lower Saxony found that 67.8 per cent of surveyed students believe that the Qur'an is 'more important' than the laws in Germany.

Nearly half of them (45.6 per cent) think that 'Islamic Theocracy is the best form of government'. 

And more than a third (35.3 per cent) said that they can understand violence against people who insult Allah or the prophet Mohammed.