Injured in knife attack on anti-Islam activist in Mannheim

A man attacked an extreme right-wing anti-Islam activist at a market in Mannheim, Germany. Michael Stürzenberger was injured when the perpetrator stabbed him.

Video footage shows the perpetrator charging at other men with a knife and stabbing them. The other two fight back, showing that one of them has a large flesh wound in his leg. Bystanders tried to chase the attacker away.

The police quickly arrived on the scene. The images show how the perpetrator also stabbed a police officer. Another officer draws his firearm and shoots the attacker.

Six people were treated for their injuries at the scene, including the perpetrator. The condition of the injured is unknown, although police sources told the DPA news agency that the officer was seriously injured. It is also not clear what condition the attacker is in.

View images of the attack below. Please note, these are shocking images:

The attack took place during a meeting of the anti-Islam movement Civic Movement Pax Europa. The movement confirms on the site that 59-year-old Stürzenberger was taken to hospital with serious injuries to his face and leg.

According to the German newspaper Bild, Stürzenberger is a former politician of the CSU and worked as a journalist for the German broadcasters RTL and Sat1. According to Bild, he became radicalized after a friend of his was killed in a terrorist attack in Mumbai in 2008. He then left the CSU, the sister party of the CDU, and joined the more radical party Die Freiheit.

Since then, he has collected signatures with the aim of preventing the construction of a mosque and has demonstrated together with the right-wing extremist party NPD. He was a well-known face at anti-Islam meetings, including those of the anti-Islam movement Pegida.

Stürzenberger was convicted twice: once for insulting a police officer and once for disparaging religion.