The main suspect in the deadly attack near Berlin Pride events was killed during a police operation in the German capital. One woman was killed and a further 29 people were injured in the attack.
The incident took place on Saturday evening in Tiergarten park, near the Brandenburg Gate and the Christopher Street Day parade, as Pride is known in Germany. The attacker is alleged to have driven a rented van into pedestrians before the vehicle crashed into a tree, after which he reportedly attacked bystanders with a sharp object. The attack led to the early termination of one of Europe’s largest Pride events.
The attack took place two months before regional elections, with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) leading in opinion polls.
The interior minister said the suspect was known to the security services because of previous offences, indications of radicalisation and contacts within Islamist circles. German media reported that he had been classified as a high-risk individual and had been attending deradicalisation counselling sessions, with his next appointment scheduled for Monday. However, these reports do not yet amount to a definitive judicial conclusion regarding his motive.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz described the attack as a blow to German society, while calling for division and political exploitation to be avoided. The incident occurred around two months before the regional elections, at a time when the far-right AfD is gaining ground in the polls by focusing politically on migration, security and the threat of Islamist extremism.
Sources: Guardian, Die Welt
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