28 injured as car drives into Munich crowd; Bavaria governor says attack suspected
Suspect, a 24-year-old Afghan asylum seeker, in police custody; car plowed into a demonstration by union workers; children among those hurt
BERLIN — A man drove a car into a union demonstration in central Munich on Thursday, injuring at least 28 people including children, authorities said.
Bavarian governor Markus Söder said the incident was “suspected to be an attack.”
It had been initially unclear if the driver, who was arrested, had deliberately plowed into the crowd.
Police said a car drove into the back of a demonstration by the service workers’ union Verdi that was taking place in a square near downtown Munich around 10:30 a.m. A damaged Mini could be seen at the scene, along with debris including shoes.
The union said it did not have any information on the incident.
Police said at least 28 people were injured and the suspect is believed to be a 24-year-old Afghan asylum seeker.
The Bild newspaper said police would have to establish whether the driver of the Mini Cooper had deliberately driven into the crowd or mixed up the accelerator and brake.
Police said on X they had detained the driver and did not consider him to pose any further threat, but declined to comment on whether it was an accident.
BREAKING:
First video of the man who plowed a car into a group of people in Munich, Germany today.
At least 20 people are hurt pic.twitter.com/D2cGhJJWtf
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) February 13, 2025
Officers set up a gathering point for witnesses in the Loewenbraeukeller, one of Munich’s oldest beer halls.
The Bavarian capital will see heavy security in the coming days because the three-day Munich Security Conference, an annual gathering of international foreign and security policy officials, opens on Friday. US Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are both scheduled to attend.
The car incident occurred around 1.5 kilometers (1 mile) from the security conference venue.
Security has been in sharp focus in Germany ahead of a federal election next week and following a string of violent attacks.
