A violent clash involving over 40 people armed with pepper spray, knives, kirpans, and reportedly a firearm, erupted at Gurdwara Singh Sabha, Duisburg, in the German city of Moers, in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, on Sunday. The clash resulted in injuries to at least 11 people and prompted a major police response, including the deployment of special police tactical units, German newspaper Bild reported. Eyewitnesses said the clash stemmed from disputes over the gurdwara’s finances and management, though German police have not confirmed a specific cause.
The confrontation began on Sunday afternoon and quickly escalated, with one group allegedly launching a coordinated attack. Witnesses said pepper spray was used to disorient opponents, followed by attacks with knives and a firearm.
A 56-year-old eyewitness told Bild that the assault appeared premeditated: “Shortly before the prayer service, attackers used pepper spray, then one fired a pistol. I also saw knives.”
The violence is believed to stem from a long-running internal dispute within the gurdwara community, centred on committee control, influence, and alleged financial disagreements.
“The background is a dispute between former committee members and the current ones. It also involves money belonging to the community. There have been problems and trouble for quite some time. But mainly it’s about influence and who has the say here in the temple,” the witness told Bild.
In a video posted on X by independent journalist Ravinder Singh Robin, a person at the scene alleged that the clash occurred due to disputes over the gurdwara’s golak (a donation-box installed at gurdwaras for the purposes of keeping gifts, offerings, and financial contributions), as well as an attempt by the institution’s previous management to seize back the gurdwara’s administration after being voted out.
When the violence erupted, many worshippers panicked and fled the gurdwara in fear. One eyewitness described the chaos to the German newspaper Neue Ruhr Zeitung (NRZ), stating, “Several people ran out of the building, some of them barefoot.”
Eleven people were reported to have been injured, primarily with head injuries, though some accounts from other media mentioned fewer confirmed cases (around three to four with light cuts, head, or leg wounds). Paramedics and an emergency doctor provided immediate treatment at the scene.
LARGE POLICE OPERATION TO STOP BRAWL AT MOERS GURDWARA
Sikhs have criticised the violence within the gurdwara in Moers, Germany.
Writing on X, journalist Ravinder Singh Robin described the incident as “shocking”, adding, “Sikhs fighting inside [a gurdwara], turbans in the air, kirpans (meant to protect the weak) turned on each other.”
Journalist and author Man Aman Singh Chhina later posted about the incident on X, describing the incident as a “shameful clash” and that “Turbans were tossed and kirpans were used to attack each other in the presence of Guru Granth Sahib.”
Such was the scale of the violence that police swiftly launched a large-scale operation to contain the situation. According to the Bild report, around 100 officers, including a Special Task Force (SEK) unit from Dusseldorf, surrounded the building after reports of gunfire. Heavily armed personnel took positions while a helicopter provided aerial support.
Fearing an armed suspect inside, authorities sealed off the gurdwara before SEK officers armed with submachine guns stormed the premises. No gunman was found, and at least one suspect was detained.
Investigators are now working to reconstruct the sequence of events and identify those responsible. The firearm has not been recovered, though initial evidence, including cartridge cases discovered at the scene, suggests it might have been a blank-firing weapon, reported Bild.
Authorities say an investigation is on, covering both the violence and the underlying dispute over the gurdwara’s governance and finances. A police spokesperson told NRZ that enquiries are “proceeding in all directions”. The probe might come to a conclusion into the origins and the troublemakers, but the incident is embarrassing for a community that is associated with compassion, courage, service and pride.
– Ends
