BERLIN (AP) — The presidents of Germany and Israel are inaugurating a memorial to the 11 Israeli athletes and a German police officer killed 45 years ago during an attack by a Palestinian militant group at the Munich Olympics.
Presidents Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Reuven Rivlin were joined at Munich’s Olympic Park Wednesday by relatives of the victims.
On Sept. 5, 1972, eight members of Palestinian group Black September climbed over the unguarded fence of the Olympic village, burst into the building where the Israeli team was staying and took the athletes hostage.
Five athletes, six coaches and a German policeman were killed at the village or during a botched rescue attempt.