Munich: Car drives into crowd - Söder speaks of attack

Handelsblatt Munich: Car drives into crowd - Söder speaks of attack dpa , Reuters • 34 minutes • 2 minutes reading time During a Verdi protest in Munich, a car drove into a crowd. According to police, the suspected perpetrator is an asylum seeker from Afghanistan. A vehicle drove into a group of people in Munich city center. As the police announced on Platform X, several people were injured. "We are currently on site with strong forces," said a police spokesman. The background is still unclear. According to the fire department, at least 28 people were injured, but the exact number cannot yet be given. Among them are an "undetermined number" of seriously and very seriously injured, said a spokesman for the Munich professional fire department. The danger to life of some of the injured cannot yet be ruled out. Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) spoke of a suspected attack. The driver was detained. "At the moment, he poses no further danger," said the police spokesman. "We have no reason to believe that there is a danger to the population." According to information from the police, the man is a 24-year-old asylum seeker with Afghan citizenship. Police officers fired a shot at the car to stop him. According to Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann (CSU), the young man is known to the police. He has been noticed for shoplifting and violations of the Narcotics Act. According to Herrmann, the authorities do not currently believe that there is a connection to the Munich Security Conference. It is not yet clear whether the event will affect the conference, which begins on Friday. Starting Thursday afternoon, more than 60 heads of state and government and more than 100 ministers are expected to attend the world's most important security policy expert meeting. US Vice President J.D. Vance, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Selenskyj and Chancellor Olaf Scholz are among those who have announced their attendance. No evidence of other people involved The police have so far had no evidence of other people who might have been involved in the incident. This was said by a police spokesman, referring to corresponding posts on social media. According to police, a demonstration by the Verdi trade union was taking place at the scene of the incident, on Munich's Stiglmaierplatz, at around 10:30 a.m. The car followed the demonstration, snaked past the police vehicles and drove into the back of the crowd. The mayor of Munich, Dieter Reiter (SPD), said that there were children among the injured. "I am deeply shocked," said Reiter. "My thoughts are with the injured." "It is simply terrible. We feel and pray for the victims and hope that everyone makes it," said Söder. "We cannot go from attack to attack and show concern (...), but must actually change something," explained the Bavarian Prime Minister on site. The police are now asking witnesses for information. The investigators set up a so-called upload portal to which photos and videos of the incident can be uploaded. Witnesses were also asked to come to a collection point in the Löwenbräukeller.