A car rammed into a crowd of demonstrators in Munich, Germany, injuring at least 28 people, including children. The incident occurred hours before world leaders were set to arrive for the annual Munich Security Conference.
The suspect is identified as 24-year-old Farhad N, an Afghan asylum seeker who arrived in Germany in 2016. His asylum application had been rejected, but his deportation was suspended due to instability in Afghanistan.
According to police, the car passed a police cruiser monitoring the demonstration before ramming into the crowd. Authorities have taken over the investigation due to indications that the suspect has an “extremist background.”
The incident comes at a politically sensitive time, days before Germany’s federal elections, on February 23. Debates on immigration and public safety are central issues in campaigns for the upcoming election.
Germany’s ruling coalition faces pressure to boost security and justify its immigration policies. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is voicing its anti-immigration stance, with its candidate for chancellor, Alice Weidel, calling for migration reform.
The incident has reignited debates on immigration and public safety, and the investigation into the suspect’s background and potential extremist connections will continue. With heightened security across the city, including at least 5,000 police officers on duty this weekend, authorities are working to determine the motivations behind the attack and prevent similar incidents in the future.
Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/2/14/munich-car-ramming-what-happened-whos-the-suspect-whats-next