The bloody attack at Berlin Pride by a fanatical Islamist triggers a political storm, reigniting the debate over immigration and security and confronting the government of Merz with its greatest test shortly before critical state elections.
The attack with one woman dead and 16 injured, eight of whom are hospitalized in critical condition, not only causes shock in German society, but also threatens to overturn the political balance in the country.
With public opinion demanding answers about security lapses, the government of Chancellor Friedrich Merz faces fierce criticism, while the opposition attempts to capitalize politically on the bloody incident.
The attack occurred at an extremely difficult juncture for the governing coalition, which is tested by low popularity ratings, internal turmoil, and strong accusations that it has failed to effectively address the challenges of public safety and irregular migration.
At the same time, the government is in the midst of a reshuffle, in an effort to regain political initiative before critical state elections to be held in about two months.
AfD raises the tone
In this climate, the right-wing party Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) rushed to link the attack to its agenda on migration and security.
The party has placed these two issues at the center of its election campaign, seeking for the first time to assume government leadership in a federal state.
AfD co-leader Tino Chrupalla, in a post on platform X, stated:
"We will not allow religious extremists to divide our country with violence and intolerance."
The attack is expected to dominate the campaign debate in the coming weeks, with issues of internal security, terrorism, and migration policy returning dynamically to the center of public discourse in Germany.
Manhunt to locate the Islamist perpetrator of the attack with one dead, 16 injured
German authorities are searching "by all means" for 21-year-old Islamist Abdul M., who is considered the main suspect in last night's attack at the Christopher Street Day event in Berlin. From the attack, one woman lost her life and 16 more people were injured, eight of whom are hospitalized in critical condition.
According to information so far, the alleged perpetrator drove a van into the assembled crowd in Tiergarten park and remains at large.
Determined to locate and bring to justice those responsible for the fatal attack that occurred on Saturday night, the German government appears, while authorities continue the manhunt for the main suspect, who has been identified as an Islamist.
"This cowardly and heinous attack against people celebrating peacefully has deeply shocked me," declared German Minister of the Interior Alexander Dobrindt.
"We will do everything to quickly investigate this terrible act, reveal what lies behind it, and bring those responsible to justice," he added.
Known to authorities
As reported by the German news agency dpa, Abdul M. is a German citizen of Lebanese descent, born in Berlin in 2005, while he was already known to German authorities as a supporter of the Islamic State and for connections with Islamist circles in Berlin. He had been released from a juvenile detention facility just last May.
Police authorities conducted a search at his apartment in Berlin, without locating him.
Police appeal to citizens
Police issued an urgent announcement, publishing a photo and details of the suspect and requesting the assistance of citizens in locating him.
The suspect is described as a man of thin build, approximately 1.90 meters tall, with black hair. He is estimated to have been wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and white pants.
In its announcement, police call on anyone with information that might be related to the case or who knows his possible location to contact authorities immediately. At the same time, it warns that if located, no attempt to approach or contact him should be made, as he is considered likely to be armed and dangerous.
Earlier, a police spokesman stated that so far there are no clear elements regarding the exact motives of the suspect, the full progression of events, or his exact role in the attack.
The mayor of Berlin Kai Wegner (Reuters)
How the attack unfolded
The attack occurred at 22:15 local time, at a time when thousands of citizens continued celebrations for Christopher Street Day in Tiergarten park. The event is dedicated to the rights of the LGBTQ+ community and constitutes one of the largest Pride events in Europe.
A white van crashed into the assembled crowd, injuring 15 people in total.
One woman succumbed to her injuries shortly after, before being transported to the hospital.
The vehicle eventually crashed into a tree. The driver abandoned it and fled on foot. According to German media, he was holding a sharp object, likely a knife, which he reportedly brandished toward the crowd.
Eyewitnesses told newspaper BILD that they saw injured people with knife wounds.
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