Hanau, Germany (dpa) – Germany was commemorating the victims of a racist shooting spree in Hanau on Friday, one year to the day after 10 people were gunned down by an extremist in the town near Frankfurt.
The attacker, identified as Tobias R, went on the rampage on the evening of February 19, 2020, targeting nine people of foreign descent before killing his mother and then turning the gun on himself.
The attack left behind a grieving community as well as criticism of the authorities, who have been accused of not doing enough to prevent the attack or to support the families in its wake.
“Clarification and an accounting of the past are the responsibility of the state to the public and above all to the relatives,” German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said in a speech to mark the event.
Steinmeier acknowledged that errors had been made by authorities, saying he was “deeply depressed that our state has not been able to keep its promise of protection, security and freedom.”
He challenged the public not to “allow this evil act to divide us.”
“Let us not overlook the evil forces in our midst – hatred, marginalization, indifference. But let us believe … in our strength to stand together,” he said.
The 43-year-old gunman had published pamphlets online prior to the shooting laced with conspiracy theories and racist vitriol.
Speaking on the eve of the anniversary, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said that noone could argue that they didn’t see the Hanau attack coming considering the statistics gathered by domestic intelligence in the years prior.
He noted that more than 33,000 right-wing extremists live in Germany, 13,000 of whom are willing to use violence, and the trend is rising.
“Why aren’t we all hearing alarm bells?” the foreign minister asked. “And how can it be that the bereaved are still complaining about the disrespect and bureaucratic coldness they face from the authorities?”
Maas also spoke of “everyday racism in governmental and municipal offices, in shops, in schools, buses and trains” that must be stopped.
Demonstrations are planned across the country, including in major cities such as Berlin, Hamburg and Munich.
In Hanau, a rally to mark the one-year anniversary has been organized by an alliance of local youth groups under the banner “Do not forgive, do not forget. Together against racism.”
At 7.02 pm (1802 GMT), church bells are to ring out in Hanau and surroundings cities and districts.
GNA