After an intensive search, police in Germany detained a suspect in a stabbing attack that occurred on Friday at Berlin’s Holocaust memorial, resulting in one person being seriously injured.
The incident took place just two days before a significant national election, within the labyrinth of concrete stelae that comprise the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, located near the U.S. Embassy and recognized as one of the capital’s most important sites.
Authorities stated they are in the process of verifying the identity of the arrested individual, and the investigation is ongoing.
The injured man was transported to a hospital, while rescue workers provided treatment for shock to witnesses of the event, according to a police statement.
The memorial, described as a “place of remembrance and warning” by Berlin’s tourism website, spans over four-and-a-half acres and features 2,711 concrete slabs of varying heights.
This attack occurs as Germany prepares for parliamentary elections on Sunday, which could significantly alter the country’s political landscape. Growing frustration over the stagnant economy and dissatisfaction with immigration policies have propelled the far-right party, Alternative for Germany (AfD), to high polling numbers.
The AfD, which has been associated with neo-Nazi groups, has pledged to halt migration and deport immigrants.
In the past year, Germany has experienced a series of seemingly unrelated attacks perpetrated by immigrants from Afghanistan and the Middle East. Notably, last week, an asylum seeker from Afghanistan drove a car into a union demonstration in Munich, injuring numerous individuals during a global security conference.
Additionally, in December, a Saudi Arabian citizen drove his vehicle through a Christmas market in Magdeburg, resulting in six fatalities and injuring hundreds more.