  Quantum fluctuations lead to an anomalous violation of parity symmetry in
quantum electrodynamics for an even number of spatial dimensions. While the
leading parity-odd electric current vanishes in vacuum, we uncover a
non-cancellation of the anomaly for strong electric fields with distinct
macroscopic signatures. We perform real-time lattice simulations with fully
dynamical gauge fields and Wilson fermions in $2+1$ space-time dimensions. In
the static field limit, relevant at early times, we solve the problem
analytically. Our results point out the fundamental role of quantum anomalies
for strong-field phenomena, relevant for a wide range of condensed matter and
high-energy applications, but also for the next generation of gauge theory
quantum simulators.
