A knifeman has been apprehended for stabbing several bystanders and a police officer at a political rally in Germany in an attack that was live-streamed on YouTube.  

The frenzied attack happened in the city of Mannheim where anti-Islamist campaigner Michael Stuerzenberger was speaking at an event of the Citizens’ Movement Pax Europa (BPE), a group that advocates against the ‘Islamisation’ of Europe. 

While anti-Islamist campaigner Michael Stuerzenberger was speaking, a man dressed in a dark hooded jacket, green shirt, and tracksuit bottoms attacked Stuerzenberger to the ground and violently swung a large blade at him in front of onlookers.

Other BPE members tried to drag the knifeman away, but the attacker broke free to cause more harm.

Police descended on the scene almost immediately as one officer tried to pull the knifeman back but failed to gain control of the blade, allowing the attacker to plunge it into his torso.

His colleagues were heard screaming ‘throw the knife away!’ – but the knifeman ignored the orders before the officers opened fire from near point-blank range and sent him to the ground. 

The horrific attack was captured in its entirety by a cameraman who was livestreaming the event on the BPE’s YouTube page. But the stream has since been taken down.

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

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.

‘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.