Police are seen following a knife attack at Mannheim's central market square, in southwest Germany, May 31, 2024. RENE PRIEBE/PICTURE ALLIANCE/GETTY

Videos shared on social media showed a man attacking several people with a knife in the southwest German city of Mannheim on Friday. The city's police force confirmed the incident and said three people, including one officer, were injured but there was no further danger to the public as the suspect was apprehended.

The police did not immediately provide any information about the severity of the injuries or the identities of those involved, but one of those stabbed was a prominent German far-right political activist and critic of Islam, Michael Stürzenberger.

Videos of the incident showed Stürzenberger coming under attack by the knife-wielding man in Mannheim's central market square at about 11:45 a.m. local time. Stürzenberger had been participating in a rally organized by the Citizens' Movement Pax Europa, which describes itself as "anti-Islamization."

Stefanie Kizina, a colleague of Stürzenberger's, told the local reporter for Germany's Bild newspaper that he was "undergoing an emergency surgery" after being stabbed in the face and leg, but that his injuries were not life-threatening.

"One person is said to have attacked several people with a knife and injured them," the Mannheim police said in a statement. "A firearm was then used against the attacker. The attacker was also injured as a result."

Rescue and emergency services, including a medivac helicopter, were deployed to the scene.

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