Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) has issued a response to the fatal attack at the Berlin CSD, announcing that actions will be taken while simultaneously urging caution in the official response. Speaking Sunday outside Marienkirche in Berlin, Merz stated that his party would “do everything to capture the perpetrator as quickly as possible.” He added that decisions regarding consequences would be made “with deliberation, but also with determination.”
The Chancellor asserted that such extremists have no place in mainstream society. He pledged to defend the freedom of the nation, vowing not to allow “this poison of terrorism and this poison against our freedom” to continue spreading. His message concluded with a call for unity, stating, “We are more. We are stronger. And we stand together in our country.”
Merz did not release any further identifying details about the perpetrator, who remains at large. The suspect, identified as 21-year-old Abdul B., reportedly drove a small commercial vehicle into the Tiergarten in Berlin around 10 PM on Saturday, during the CSD celebration. He crashed into a tree before fleeing the scene. Authorities indicate that he may have started attacking passersby with sharp instruments, possibly a machete, resulting in multiple injuries. According to the Ministry of the Interior, the attack ultimately left 29 people injured, including one woman who was killed.
In related news, Federal Minister of Justice Stefanie Hubig (SPD) announced Sunday afternoon that the Federal Prosecutor General has taken command of the ongoing investigations.
