After a peaceful demonstration in support of the Iranian people took place in Hamburg on Saturday, knife violence suddenly broke out. Shortly after 5 p.m., after the demonstration had ended, two people were injured by stab wounds, one of whom was in critical condition on Saturday evening. The police were able to arrest three men.
The identity of the suspects and their motives are still unclear. Rumours that the attackers were Afghan migrants have not been confirmed. A police spokesperson told the Bild newspaper that it was not yet known whether the men had participated in the demonstration.
According to the Hamburger Abendblatt newspaper, a physical altercation broke out, during which knives were brandished. The victims were also men. One was stabbed in the leg, the other in the back. The latter was in critical condition for a time.
Videos showing a scuffle around the demonstration are circulating on social media. Anti-Mullah demonstrators appear to be chasing other men away. Other videos from the same location show a person bleeding heavily from the leg being treated by the police. Next to the victim is a man carrying the old Iranian flag with a lion printed in the centre. It is considered a symbol of protest against the Mullah regime.
Two people stabbed and seriously injured in Hamburg, Germany. They were demonstrating for Western intervention in Iran.
— National Conservative (@NatCon2022) January 18, 2026
Stabber is reportedly an illegal alien from Afghanistan. pic.twitter.com/tiCmnsVWza
Around 12,000 people took part in the ‘No to the Islamic Republic of Iran’ demonstration on Saturday. They were protesting against the mullah regime. The demonstration was organised by the Constitutionalist Party of Iran, which campaigns for the introduction of a constitutional monarchy in Iran. In keeping with this, Iranian flags featuring a lion were displayed at the demonstration. These flags date back to before the Islamic Revolution of 1979, when Iran was still ruled by a shah.
Internationally, but especially in Iran, protests gained momentum at the turn of the year. The trigger was apparently the poor economic situation, which led to discontent with the regime spilling onto the streets. According to various human rights organisations, more than 3,000 people have already been killed by the Islamic National Guard in Iran. Other estimates put the number of civilians killed at up to 20,000.