صاحب‌خبر - JUMP TO: What happened in Munich? Where did it happen? What do we know about those injured? What do we know about the suspect? What’s the political context? What happens next? A car rammed into demonstrators in Munich on Thursday, injuring at least 28 people, in what a local official described as a suspected attack. The incident occurred hours before world leaders were set to arrive in the southern German city for the annual Munich Security Conference which is scheduled to open on Friday. Here is what we know about the incident, the suspect – and how this might play out politically when Germany is preparing for closely contested federal elections on February 23. What happened in Munich? A 24-year-old man drove a white Mini Cooper into a crowd of demonstrators near Munich’s central railway station, injuring at least 30 people, including children. The incident occurred at 10:30am (09:30 GMT) during a trade union protest, with about 1,500 participants in attendance. Employees from daycare centres, hospitals, sanitation services and public swimming pools were participating in the strike, demanding higher wages and extended holiday time. According to the police, the car passed a police cruiser monitoring the demonstration before ramming into the crowd. Authorities also said that the incident was likely an attack, adding that police fired at the suspect’s vehicle after it accelerated and hit people. It was unclear if the suspect was wounded. Ein furchtbarer Anschlag in München erschüttert uns. Ein afghanischer Täter ist in eine Demonstration gerast. Es gibt viele Verletzte, einige sehr schwer verletzt. Unsere Gedanken sind bei den Opfern und ihren Angehörigen. Der Täter muss die volle Härte des Rechtsstaats spüren. — Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz (@Bundeskanzler) February 13, 2025 Advertisement Translation: We are shaken by a terrible attack in Munich,” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in a post on X. “Our thoughts are with the victims and their families. The perpetrator must feel the full force of the rule of law.” Where did it happen? The incident occurred at the intersection of Karlstrasse and Seidlstrasse, near Munich Hauptbahnhof (the central train station) in the city. The location is about one mile (1.5 kilometres) from where the Munich Security Conference will be held on Friday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, United States Vice President JD Vance and other world leaders, senior diplomats and journalists are expected to attend. What do we know about those injured? German police reported that at least 30 people were injured. The local fire department stated that some victims were in critical, life-threatening condition. Authorities confirmed that children were among the injured. What do we know about the suspect? The suspect has been identified as 24-year-old Farhad N, an Afghan asylum seeker who arrived in Germany in 2016 as an unaccompanied minor, at the age of 15. Al Jazeera is not fully naming the suspect because of German privacy laws. His asylum application had been rejected, according to authorities, but his deportation was suspended due to instability in Afghanistan. According to police, the suspect was previously known to authorities for theft and drug-related offences. The Bavarian central office for extremism and terrorism has taken over the investigation due to indications that the suspect has an “extremist background”. What’s the political context? The attack comes at a politically sensitive time, days before Germany’s federal elections, on February 23, and the Munich Security Conference. Advertisement Authorities do not believe this incident is related to the security conference. The incident has reignited debates on immigration and public safety, central issues in campaigns for the upcoming election, with political parties reacting to it: Conservative party (CDU) – The Christian Democratic Union party leader Friedrich Merz demanded change. “We will consistently enforce law and order. Everyone must feel safe in our country again. Something must change in Germany,” he said on X. Merz has accused Social Democrat Chancellor Olaf Scholz of being soft on immigration. Merz and the CDU have recently broken with years of a taboo on working with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) to ally with them on an anti-immigration bill that parliament ultimately rejected. The ruling coalition led by the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the Greens faces pressure to boost security and justify its immigration policies. The recent memory of a car-ramming attack in December lingers, when a Saudi Arabian man drove into a Christmas market in Magdeburg, central Germany, injuring up to 300 people and killing six. The far-right AfD, which has been gaining in the polls, is voicing its anti-immigration stance. “Is it going to continue like this forever? Migration change now!” Alice Weidel, the party’s candidate for chancellor, wrote on X. Anti-immigration rhetoric is at the heart of the AfD’s politics, and its concerns appear to be increasingly finding resonance with the broader German public. In a survey conducted in late January, 68 percent of respondents said they believe Germany should reduce the number of refugees it accepts. Similarly, in a December poll, 75 percent of respondents said they felt the government was insufficiently regulating migrant entry. Advertisement What happens next? Ongoing investigation: Authorities are examining the suspect’s background, online activity and potential “extremist” connections. Increased security: With the Munich Security Conference approaching, police have heightened security across the city, and according to reports, at least 5,000 police officers are on duty this weekend. Political effects: The incident could further sharpen anti-immigrant rhetoric ahead of the election, leaving the country’s current centrist leadership on the defensive.∎​