A lot points to that. I have to change something in Germany—and quickly.
In Munich on a Thursday morning, a young Afghan man drove a car into a crowd of trade union workers gathered peacefully to demand better wages, injuring at least 28 people — among them children — in what authorities are treating as a deliberate attack. The act unfolded just hours before the city was set to host one of the world's most prominent security conferences, casting a long shadow over both the gathering and the broader questions Germany continues to wrestle with around migration, safety, and belonging. In the wreckage of shoes and strollers, the distance between the world leaders about to convene and the ordinary lives disrupted on a city street felt both vast and painfully small.
- A Mini Cooper accelerated into a crowd of roughly a thousand workers mid-demonstration, striking people with enough force to pin at least one victim beneath the vehicle.
- Children were among the injured, and witnesses described scenes of chaos — bodies on the pavement, a mother and child struck, emergency workers navigating debris of shoes and strollers.
- Police shot at the vehicle and detained the 24-year-old Afghan driver within moments, with Bavaria's governor arriving on scene to call it a suspected attack and signal the need for urgent policy change.
- Munich was hours away from hosting the 61st Munich Security Conference, where VP JD Vance and President Zelensky were expected to meet, turning a diplomatic gathering into a backdrop for domestic crisis.
- Conference organizers issued condolences, but the attack immediately reignited charged national debates about migration policy and security failures in Germany.
Just after 10:30 on a Thursday morning in Munich, a 24-year-old Afghan man drove a Mini Cooper into a crowd of roughly a thousand trade union workers who had gathered near Dachauer Straße to rally for higher wages and better conditions. He accelerated from behind the demonstration, overtaking a police vehicle that had been following the march, before driving directly into the group. Police fired at the car and took him into custody moments later.
At least 28 people were injured, some seriously — including children. Witnesses described people pinned beneath the vehicle, a mother and child struck by the impact, and a scene strewn with shoes and strollers. One bystander said they tried to open the car door to help a man trapped underneath, only to find it locked. Emergency responders worked through the wreckage on stretchers as the damaged Mini Cooper sat as a grim marker of the violence.
Bavarian governor Markus Söder came to the scene and called it a suspected attack, saying it pointed toward the need for swift policy changes in Germany, without elaborating. Authorities confirmed there was no continuing threat to the area.
The attack landed at a charged moment: Munich was preparing to open the 61st Munich Security Conference the very next day, with Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky among those expected to attend. Conference organizers expressed sorrow and solidarity with the victims. The juxtaposition — world leaders gathering to debate global security while a city street bore the fresh marks of violence — sharpened already difficult questions about migration and safety that Germany has long struggled to resolve.
A car plowed into a crowd of trade union workers in Munich on Thursday morning, leaving at least 28 people injured, some of them children. The incident happened just after 10:30 a.m. near the intersection of Dachauer Straße and Seidlstraße, where roughly a thousand city workers had gathered to demand higher wages, increased bonuses, and three additional days off. A 24-year-old Afghan migrant, driving a Mini Cooper, accelerated from behind the demonstration and drove directly into the group. Police fired at the vehicle and took the driver into custody moments later.
Bavarian governor Markus Söder arrived at the scene and described the incident as a suspected attack. "A lot points to that," he said, adding that the episode signaled a need for swift policy changes in Germany, though he offered no specifics. Authorities confirmed that the driver had overtaken a police vehicle that was following the protest before making his move into the crowd.
The aftermath was chaotic and distressing. Witnesses described seeing people trapped beneath the car and scattered across the pavement. One person who attended the demonstration told German broadcaster BR24 that they saw a man pinned under the vehicle and tried to open the door, only to find it locked. Another witness reported seeing the car strike a mother and child. Emergency responders worked among debris that included shoes and strollers, transporting the injured on stretchers.
At least some of those hurt sustained serious injuries, according to officials. The damaged Mini Cooper remained visible at the scene, a stark reminder of the force of the impact. Police later confirmed there was no ongoing threat to the area.
The timing of the attack added another layer of tension to an already sensitive moment. Munich was preparing to host the 61st Munich Security Conference, set to begin the following day and run through February 16. The gathering would bring together world leaders to discuss global security challenges, including Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who were expected to meet on Friday. Conference organizers released a statement expressing sadness over the incident and extending thoughts to the victims and their families.
The incident raised immediate questions about security protocols and integration challenges in Germany, even as the city braced for one of the year's most high-profile diplomatic gatherings.
Citas Notables
It is suspected that this was an attack—a lot points to that. The attack shows that I have to change something in Germany—and quickly.— Bavarian governor Markus Söder
He approached the gathering from behind and then drove into the crowd. The police then shot at the vehicle.— Deputy police chief Christian Huber
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why was a trade union demonstration happening that morning? What were they protesting?
About a thousand city workers had gathered to push for better pay, higher bonuses, and three more days off. It was a routine labor action—the kind that happens regularly in German cities.
And the driver—do we know anything about his motive yet?
Not from what's been reported. He's a 24-year-old Afghan migrant. Authorities are calling it a suspected attack because of how deliberate it appears—he overtook a police vehicle, then accelerated into the crowd from behind. But the why remains unclear.
The governor said he had to "change something in Germany—and quickly." What did he mean?
He didn't elaborate, but the implication is clear: he's signaling that immigration policy or integration is now on the table. Whether that's what he actually meant, or whether he was speaking in the heat of the moment, is hard to say.
How does this land, timing-wise, with the security conference?
It's the worst possible moment. World leaders are arriving to discuss global security threats, and a vehicle attack happens in the city's center the day before. It raises questions about Munich's readiness and about what security means when a car can still reach a crowd of a thousand people.
Were there children in the crowd?
Yes. Some of the 28 injured were children. One witness saw the car strike a mother and child. That detail—the presence of families at a labor protest—makes the randomness of it hit harder.