Thousands of mourners chanted 'Nazis out' at vigils for victims of the far-right mass shooting in Hanau, Germany

Rhea Mahbubani,Rhea Mahbubani

Feb 22, 2020, 01:43 IST

Thousands of mourners chanted 'Nazis out' at vigils for victims of the far-right mass shooting in Hanau, Germany

Thomas Lohnes/Getty Images

Relatives hold up photos of the victims at a vigil near the Midnight hookah bar, one of the sites of Wednesday night's shootings, on February 20, 2020 in Hanau, Germany.

Thousands of people have gathered at vigils in Germany where they not only honored the victims of a far-right mass shooting, but also protested racism.
On Wednesday night, a gunman posted a racist and extremist manifesto online, before going on a killing spree that killed nine people at two hookah bars in Hanau. He was later found dead as was his mother, in what police believe is a murder-suicide.
The victims had a "migrant background," but some were German citizens, a chief proscutor said, noting the attacker's screed and video footage revealed "a very deeply racist attitude."
Shaken by the bloodshed, people carried candles, roses, and signs that read "Take racism personally," "Never again!" and "No place for racism." The crowd also chanted "Nazis out!"
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Thousands of people have flocked to vigils across Germany to honor the nine people gunned down in Hanau on Wednesday and to take a stance against racism.

People gathered in the central German city that was shaken by the far-right bloodshed, carrying candles and roses, while crowds in Frankfurt and Berlin toted signs, reading, "Take racism personally," "Never again!" and "No place for racism," AFP reported. Frankfurt's Eintracht football team also held a minute of silence before the start of its Europa League match against RB Salzburg.

The racist extremist attacker began his rampage at the Midnight hookah bar at 10 p.m. He then drove to the Arena Bar & Cafe, which is 1.5 miles away, where he shot and killed five people before returning home. Police later found him and his 73-year-old mother dead in an apparent murder-suicide. She was his 10th victim. Five others were wounded.

Thomas Lohnes/Getty Images

People hold up signs protesting racism after a vigil on February 20, 2020 for the victims of a far-right mass shooting in Hanau, Germany.

In the leadup to the shooting, the gunman posted a video and 24-page xenophobic manifesto on his website, identifying as an incel, pushing for nonwhites to be "completely destroyed," and even pointing fingers at President Donald Trump for stealing his ideas.

One of the slain has been identified by family members as 23-year-old Ferhat Unvar. Despite being of Kurdish descent, the young man had never even set foot in his parents' homeland, his cousin Aydin Yilmaz told The New York Times.

"It's important to say that," Yilmaz said. "He was born in Hanau. He's a German. It was an act of terror against us all."

Peter Kneffel/picture alliance via Getty Images

Hundreds gather at a vigil for the nine victims of a far-right extremist and racist shooting in Hanau, Germany.

The victims ranged from 21 to 44 years old and had a "migrant background," chief federal prosecutor Peter Frank told the AFP, clarifying that some among them were German citizens. The screed the gunman shared online before starting his killing spree revealed "a very deeply racist attitude," Frank noted, adding that investigators are examining whether the gunman had any accomplices or had told anyone, at home or abroad, of his plans.

'We have to nip it in the bud if the Nazi party is coming back'

Mourners gathered at the Arena bar on Thursday, embracing one another and remembering the victims.

German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who put a wreath of white flowers outside the building, was among them. He denounced the "brutal act of terror," but said he took solace in the fact that "thousands, maybe even tens of thousands" had shown up to memorialize the victims, according to the AFP.

"We stand together, we want to live together and we show that over and over again. That is the strongest way to fight hatred," he said. The crowd chanted, "Nazis out!"

PATRICK HERTZOG/AFP via Getty Images

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier (center) speaks on stage at a vigil honoring nine people who were killed in two shootings in Hanau, Germany.

Inge Bank, 82, who lives near the crime scene, echoed the sentiment, telling the AFP, "I couldn't be any more upset. We have to nip it in the bud if the Nazi party is coming back."

Politicians, including Chancellor Angela Merkel, expressed their condolences and condemned the far-right attack.

"Everything is being done to clarify the background of these horrible murders to the last detail," she said. "Racism is a poison. Hatred is a poison."

This is the second time that "Nazis out" has been heard in a German crowd. The last time, the chant echoed throughout a football stadium while a fan who made monkey noises at a black player was identified and kicked out, CNN reported.