Ceremony held to honor victims of 2020 racist terror attack in Hanau, Germany

By Mesut Zeyrek

HANAU, Germany (AA) - A commemoration ceremony was held in Germany on Sunday to mark the third anniversary of a racist terrorist attack in Hanau, which claimed the lives of nine people, including four Turks.

An official ceremony was held at Heumarkt Square in Hanau, with the attendance of German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, Hesse state premier Boris Rhein, Hanau Mayor Claus Kaminsky, and Türkiye's Consul General in Frankfurt Erdem Tuncer.

In her speech, Faeser said that she shares the grief of the families, stressing that the far-right extremism threatens the peaceful coexistence of the society.

Kaminsky, for his part, called for fighting racism and hate speech.

Relatives of victims condemned racism and xenophobia in their speeches.

Other ceremonies were held at cemeteries in Hanau and Dietzenbach where prayers were held for those who lost their lives in 2020.

On Feb. 19, 2020, far-right extremist Tobias Rathjen attacked two cafes in the city of Hanau, killing nine young people and injuring five others. All the victims had migrant backgrounds.

Before the attack, the far-right extremist posted videos on the internet detailing his xenophobic views. He later killed his mother and himself.