Hamburg police fire shots at axe-wielding person at Euro 2024 fan parade

The attacker was injured in the leg and was receiving medical care but his condition is not life-threatening, the spokesperson said.

"He apparently tried to set fire to this Molotov cocktail and then approached several people including police officers, and the police officers then had to make use of their firearms," said Hamburg police spokesperson Sandra Levgruen.

The incident occurred in the St Pauli district of the city as Poland and the Netherlands prepared to play against each other in Hamburg's Volksparkstadion.

There was no evidence that the man had any connection to the football tournament, Levgruen said, while the motivation for his attack was not clear.

"We assume that this is an isolated case, that is, disconnected from football... I don't see any threat at all or any impact on the game today," Levgruen said.

Fan marches are scheduled ahead of the games, and a parade for Dutch supporters was held at 12:30 CET, around the time of the incident.

Germany is hosting the month-long tournament that began on Friday night.