The police did not immediately provide any information about the severity of the injuries or the identities of those involved, but one of those stabbed was widely reported to be a prominent far-right activist and critic of Islam, Michael Stürzenberger.
Videos of the incident showed a man appearing to be Stürzenberger coming under attack by the knife-wielding man in the central Market square in Mannheim at about 11:45 a.m. local time. Stürzenberger had been participating in a rally organized by the Citizens’ Movement Pax Europa, which describes itself as “anti-Islamization.”
“One person is said to have attacked several people with a knife and injured them,” the Mannheim police said in a statement. “The extent and severity of the injuries are not yet known. A firearm was then used against the attacker. The attacker was also injured as a result.”
Rescue and emergency services, including a medivac helicopter, were deployed to the scene.
This is a developing story and will be updated.