Flowers, candles and a prayer in memory of the victims in Würzburg

Just one day after the violent attack in Würzburg, perpetrated by a Somali suffering from mental disorders, with three people killed and several injured, the Community of Sant'Egidio gathered together with many people at the site of the massacre, in Barbarossaplatz, in the historic centre of Würzburg.
Many new Europeans from different cultures and religions took part, all the participants wanted to show their solidarity with the victims and their families by laying flowers and lighting candles- They also expressed their rejection of all forms of violence and their commitment to a culture of coexistence.
A prayer for the victims and for peaceful coexistence in society then took place in the nearby Marienkapelle.
The Community, in reaffirming its condemnation of all forms of violence, expresses its concern for the hostile voices raised against the new Europeans and calls for increased attention to acts of racism and xenophobia and to consolidate peaceful coexistence between cultures and religions. Sant'Egidio has been working in this direction for years with German language courses and the People of Peace movement.