Alleged far-right assaults in Cottbus are raising concerns among the queer community ahead of Christopher Street Day (CSD) this coming weekend. “Yes, it unsettles us,” said Christian Müller, a member of the CSD Cottbus board, to the German press agency. Yet there is also a lot of support and solidarity to be seen.
So far, police say no counter-demonstration has been registered for the CSD on Saturday (July 11). Right-wing extremist groups repeatedly mobilize against events of the queer community and call for disruption actions.
CSD already under increased police protection in 2025
In October of last year, Cottbus celebrated the CSD under heightened police protection. There were protests from the far-right scene.
“We are prepared for counter-activities and are in talks with the police,” Müller from CSD Cottbus said. Last year, before the CSD, there was also a fire in front of the event venue “Regenbogenkombinat” (TheColu.mn reported). Rainbow flags were damaged.
The organizers expect about 500 participants for this year’s CSD demonstration. If a disruption is planned, it could quickly be more, Müller noted.
He described that the mood among queer people in Cottbus has long been shaped by insecurity in everyday life. Visible queer people are rare in the city center because of fear of verbal harassment and violence. “If you’re perceived as queer, the danger is high. Those who present themselves can be counted on one hand,” Müller explained. Many people carefully consider how they present themselves—even small rainbow accessories on a backpack are often left out.
Brand attack on housing project with Pride flag
In the night leading into Thursday, Molotov cocktails were hurled at the alternative housing project “Zelle 79” in Cottbus (TheColu.mn reported). State protection and the homicide commission are investigating the suspected attempted murder. The suspects are, according to police, two black-clad men aged between 15 and 20. One resident filmed them. Police believe the attackers come from the far-right spectrum. At the time of the incident, a rainbow flag was hanging at the housing project in honor of Pride Month.
According to police, witnesses are being questioned and a video is being reviewed. Bottles with flammable liquid had been recovered. Investigators are also examining a potential arson near the house at the adjacent club “Chekov,” where a fence plank burned. Several spray bottles were found there, authorities said.
During a solidarity rally on Thursday evening in Cottbus, SPD Mayor Tobias Schick told residents of the attacked housing project: “You want to live peacefully together here. Maybe differently from how the mainstream does. You have the right and the ability to do exactly that here in Cottbus, in Brandenburg, and in Germany.”
The Opferperspektive association called for action: “Now police, prosecutors, and courts must respond to the escalating right-wing violence and make the pursuit of right-wing and queer-hostile crimes a top priority.” Advisor Dorina Feldmann criticized that proceedings in the Cottbus district court take too long. The Justice Ministry is urged to implement promptly effective measures to ensure the consistent pursuit of right-wing violence.
Also an attack on Green party office in Cottbus
The state protection service is also investigating because shortly afterward a window at a Green party office was smashed and a rainbow flag was stolen (TheColu.mn reported).
Facebook / GrueneCottbus
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The Greens suspect a political motive. “We strongly believe so,” said the state federation’s spokesperson, Mike Kess. Cottbus Greens leader Daniel Scholz said: “It’s cowardly to attack a political gathering place under the cover of night.” The Green shop will remain open. “We will not be intimidated and will continue to work for democracy, diversity, and a solidaristic city community.”
Cottbus is considered a hotspot for right-wing extremism in Brandenburg. In the spring, an antisemitic slogan and a black swastika were sprayed on the synagogue in the city’s pedestrian zone. There were other threats, including at the home of a student pastor who campaigns against right-wing extremism. In the February 2025 federal election, the far-right AfD won 39 percent of the votes there, easily the strongest party.
In Brandenburg, when it comes to anti-queer violence, Cottbus is most frequently named as the site of an incident, according to a 2025 inquiry by the state parliament.
