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An Afghan migrant plowed a car through a large demonstration in Munich in a “suspected attack” early Thursday, injuring at least 30 people — just a day before the German city hosts a conference of world leaders, including Vice President JD Vance.
The 24-year-old suspect, who had only recently had his asylum application rejected, was taken into custody moments after he drove a Mini Cooper into a crowd of 1,500 labor protesters just after 10:30 a.m., officials said.
The Munich Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Bavarian Central Office for Combating Extremism and Terrorism (ZET) have taken over the investigation — as officials investigate a possible extremist background from the suspect.
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First responders inspect a crashed Mini Cooper in Munich, Germany, on Feb. 13, 2025. AFP via Getty Images
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The suspect, an Afghan migrant, was taken into custody at the scene.
Authorities are still probing a motive, but officials said early indications suggest the protest was likely targeted at random.
“It is suspected that this was an attack – a lot points to that,” Bavarian governor Markus Söder said at the scene.
“The attack shows that I have to change something in Germany – and quickly,” he added, without elaborating.
At least 30 people, including some children, were injured in the ordeal — some of them seriously, authorities said.
The suspect, who hasn’t been named, was known to local police over theft and drug offenses, according to Bavaria’s state interior minister, Joachim Herrmann.
The alleged perp’s asylum application had been rejected recently but it hadn’t been possible to deport him, Herrmann claimed, without giving further details.
The suspect allegedly came to Germany in 2016 as a minor and saw his first asylum application rejected the following year, according to the German Press Agency.
Despite Herrmann’s claims, police said the suspect had a valid residence permit at the time of the incident.
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The incident happened in the area of the roads Dachauer Straße and Seidlstraße. dpa/picture alliance via Getty Images
“Anyone who commits crimes in Germany will not just be punished severely and have to go to prison, but must expect that he cannot continue his stay in Germany — and that also goes for countries that it is very difficult to send people back to,” Chancellor Olaf Scholz said.
He described the ordeal as “a terrible attack.”
The incident happened in the area of the roads Dachauer Straße and Seidlstraße where roughly 1,000 city trade union workers were rallying for pay increases, higher bonuses and three additional days off.
Authorities said the driver overtook a police vehicle following the protest before accelerating and intentionally crashing into the back of the group.
He was nabbed after cops fired a shot at the car, according to authorities.
“He approached the gathering from behind and then drove into the crowd. The police then shot at the vehicle,” deputy police chief Christian Huber said.
Meanwhile, eyewitnesses recalled seeing scores of injured – including kids –trapped under the car and strewn across the street in the aftermath.
“I went with the demonstration,” one witness told German outlet BR24. “I saw that a man was lying under the car. Then I tried to open the door, but it was locked.”
Another witness said they saw the Mini strike a mother and child.
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First responders transport an injured person on a stretcher after the incident. AFP via Getty Images
The damaged Mini could be seen at the scene, along with debris including shoes and strollers.
The terrifying incident unfolded just as Munich prepares to host the 61st Munich Security Conference, which brings together world leaders to discuss world’s security policy challenges between Feb. 14 and Feb. 16.
Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are expected to meet on Friday.
Organizers of the event released a statement in the wake of the crash.
“We were deeply saddened to learn that a tragic incident occurred this morning in downtown Munich, in which a vehicle drove into a crowd of people. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families,” the conference said on X.
Cops later confirmed there was no further threat to the area.
Herrmann said it is not initially believed that the car ramming was connected to the conference.
The attack comes less than two months after a doctor from Saudi Arabia plowed into a crowd of people at a Christmas market west of Berlin, killing five people and leaving more than 200 others injured.
https://nypost.com/2025/02/13/world-news/germany-driver-plows-car-into-demonstrators-in-munich/
The 24-year-old suspect, who had only recently had his asylum application rejected, was taken into custody moments after he drove a Mini Cooper into a crowd of 1,500 labor protesters just after 10:30 a.m., officials said.
The Munich Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Bavarian Central Office for Combating Extremism and Terrorism (ZET) have taken over the investigation — as officials investigate a possible extremist background from the suspect.
4 First responders inspect a crashed Mini Cooper in Munich, Germany, on Feb. 13, 2025. AFP via Getty Images
4 The suspect, an Afghan migrant, was taken into custody at the scene.
Authorities are still probing a motive, but officials said early indications suggest the protest was likely targeted at random.
“It is suspected that this was an attack – a lot points to that,” Bavarian governor Markus Söder said at the scene.
“The attack shows that I have to change something in Germany – and quickly,” he added, without elaborating.
At least 30 people, including some children, were injured in the ordeal — some of them seriously, authorities said.
The suspect, who hasn’t been named, was known to local police over theft and drug offenses, according to Bavaria’s state interior minister, Joachim Herrmann.
The alleged perp’s asylum application had been rejected recently but it hadn’t been possible to deport him, Herrmann claimed, without giving further details.
The suspect allegedly came to Germany in 2016 as a minor and saw his first asylum application rejected the following year, according to the German Press Agency.
Despite Herrmann’s claims, police said the suspect had a valid residence permit at the time of the incident.
4 The incident happened in the area of the roads Dachauer Straße and Seidlstraße. dpa/picture alliance via Getty Images
“Anyone who commits crimes in Germany will not just be punished severely and have to go to prison, but must expect that he cannot continue his stay in Germany — and that also goes for countries that it is very difficult to send people back to,” Chancellor Olaf Scholz said.
He described the ordeal as “a terrible attack.”
The incident happened in the area of the roads Dachauer Straße and Seidlstraße where roughly 1,000 city trade union workers were rallying for pay increases, higher bonuses and three additional days off.
Authorities said the driver overtook a police vehicle following the protest before accelerating and intentionally crashing into the back of the group.
He was nabbed after cops fired a shot at the car, according to authorities.
“He approached the gathering from behind and then drove into the crowd. The police then shot at the vehicle,” deputy police chief Christian Huber said.
Meanwhile, eyewitnesses recalled seeing scores of injured – including kids –trapped under the car and strewn across the street in the aftermath.
“I went with the demonstration,” one witness told German outlet BR24. “I saw that a man was lying under the car. Then I tried to open the door, but it was locked.”
Another witness said they saw the Mini strike a mother and child.
4 First responders transport an injured person on a stretcher after the incident. AFP via Getty Images
The damaged Mini could be seen at the scene, along with debris including shoes and strollers.
The terrifying incident unfolded just as Munich prepares to host the 61st Munich Security Conference, which brings together world leaders to discuss world’s security policy challenges between Feb. 14 and Feb. 16.
Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are expected to meet on Friday.
Organizers of the event released a statement in the wake of the crash.
“We were deeply saddened to learn that a tragic incident occurred this morning in downtown Munich, in which a vehicle drove into a crowd of people. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families,” the conference said on X.
Cops later confirmed there was no further threat to the area.
Herrmann said it is not initially believed that the car ramming was connected to the conference.
The attack comes less than two months after a doctor from Saudi Arabia plowed into a crowd of people at a Christmas market west of Berlin, killing five people and leaving more than 200 others injured.
https://nypost.com/2025/02/13/world-news/germany-driver-plows-car-into-demonstrators-in-munich/
