5 months ago
27
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier attended a minute-long silence in memory of murdered police officer Rouven Laur in the southwestern city of Mannheim on Friday.
The 29-year-old policeman died in hospital on Sunday after he was stabbed several times by a 25-year-old Afghan asylum-seeker, who also injured five participants at a rally organized by the anti-Islam movement Pax Europa.
The silence was held at 11:34 a.m. local time — exactly a week after the stabbing in the city's market square.
Baden-Württemberg state Premier Winfried Kretschmann and state Interior Minister Thomas Strobl joined Steinmeier for the moment of silence.
The German president laid a bouquet of flowers at the scene of the crime.
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party plans to demonstrate against Islamism later was set to take place at 6 p.m., with a counter-demonstration by the anti-fascist organization Antifa at the same time.
At 4:30 p.m., a rally was planned under the motto "Mannheim stands together — for democracy and diversity."
That event was organized by a branch of the German Trade Union Federation, representatives of democratic parties and religious groups.
rc/sms (dpa, AFP)
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