A tragic car attack in Munich on Thursday resulted in the deaths of a 37-year-old woman and her 2-year-old daughter, with at least 39 others injured, some critically. The incident occurred when a vehicle plowed into a group of trade union activists protesting for higher wages in the city. German authorities have identified the suspect as a 30-year-old Afghan asylum seeker who entered Germany in 2016. His asylum application was denied in 2017, and his final appeal was rejected in 2019. However, he was allowed to remain in the country under Germany’s “tolerance” protection rule, which prevents the deportation of asylum seekers to countries where their lives may be at risk.
Counter-terrorism police are leading the investigation after evidence suggested the suspect may have an “extremist background.” The attack has reignited security concerns ahead of Germany’s federal election campaign on February 23. It also occurred just hours before world leaders were set to arrive in Munich for the annual Munich Security Conference.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz condemned the attack, stating, “This offender cannot expect any mercy. He needs to be punished and he needs to leave the country.” According to police, the suspect drove past a police vehicle monitoring the protest, accelerated, and crashed into the crowd. Officers shot at the vehicle before apprehending the suspect.
This incident follows a recent knife attack in Aschaffenburg, Bavaria, which also involved an Afghan asylum seeker whose application had been denied. These events have brought immigration and security to the forefront of Germany’s political discourse.
