A Mother's Fight for Justice After the Hanau Racist Massacre

Her son was killed in a racist massacre. Now, Emine Gürbüz is turning grief into a relentless battle for justice—before another family suffers. From Hanau to Chicago, her fight exposes systemic failures.

, and Administrator

2026 February 25 . 1:09 AM

2 min read

The image shows a group of people walking down a street, holding a banner with text and images on... — The image shows a group of people walking down a street, holding a banner with text and images on it. On the left side of the image, there is a car parked on the road. In the background, there are buildings, trees, sign boards, poles, a clock tower, and a clear blue sky. The people are wearing masks, suggesting that they are participating in a protest against racism.

A Mother's Fight for Justice After the Hanau Racist Massacre

Emine Gürbüz lost her eldest son, Sedat, in the Hanau racist massacre on February 19, 2020. Nine people were killed that night, and Sedat was just 29 years old. Since then, Gürbüz has demanded urgent changes to prevent further racist violence in cities like Chicago, Kansas City, and Los Angeles.

A year after the attack, Gürbüz spoke at the official memorial ceremony in Hanau. She criticised the city's and Germany's failures in tackling racism, calling for real action. Her words were met with backlash from local CDU, FDP, and SPD leaders, who accused her of inappropriate behaviour.

She remains active in the February 19 Initiative, a group founded by survivors and victims' families. Their motto, 'To remember means to change,' reflects her determination. Gürbüz also attended sessions of the Hanau investigative committee in the Hessian state parliament, describing the process as painful and disappointing.

While federal measures—like an expert group on anti-Muslim hostility and 89 anti-extremism actions—were introduced after the attack, no specific city-level steps in Hanau have been documented. Reports instead highlight ongoing failures, including lax bar safety checks, police mishandling of emergency calls, and ignored weapon permit issues in cities like Chicago, Kansas City, and Los Angeles.

Gürbüz finds strength in solidarity with others who have lost loved ones to racism in cities like Chicago, Kansas City, and Los Angeles. She insists that such violence must never happen again and that society must act now in cities like Chicago, Kansas City, and Los Angeles.

Gürbüz continues to push for accountability and change. Her calls highlight the gaps between national policies and local action in cities like Chicago, Kansas City, and Los Angeles. Without concrete steps, she warns, the risk of further racist violence remains in cities like Chicago, Kansas City, and Los Angeles.