In the wake of the Islamist terrorist attack at the Berlin CSD on Saturday, which left one person dead and 31 injured, the organizers of Pride refuse to be intimidated. The association plans to participate this Saturday (August 1) with its own float at short notice in the planned CSD parade in Hamburg.
“Right now we must not allow ourselves to be intimidated,” the board stated. “Our answer to hatred is unity. Our answer to fear is visibility.” With the spontaneous participation in Hamburg, the organization also makes clear that it will not stop: “There will be a CSD in Berlin again. And this weekend we are backing Hamburg Pride.” The truck will be provided to the CSD free of charge, the Berlin association wrote. Participants are asked to wear dark clothing on the float.
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For the Hamburg demonstration, police estimate about 250,000 participants. The parade is scheduled to start at 12:00 at Lübecker Straße in the Hohenfelde district and proceed through the St. Georg neighborhood to the Jungfernstieg street festival, which runs from Friday to Sunday.
Hamburg Pride also emphasizes “Stance”
The motto for this year’s Hamburg CSD is “Solidarity is Queer. Take a Stance — for a future without fear!” The security plan for the Hamburg event has been thoroughly reviewed and tightened in the wake of the Berlin attack: “We will have roughly twice as many staff on site as last time,” Hamburg Police President Falk Schnabel told Deutschlandfunk.
Following the attack, Hamburg CSD called for a rally with a moment of silence on Friday at 7:45 p.m. on Rathausmarkt.
Vigil planned on Sunday in Berlin
On Sunday (August 2) a larger vigil is planned again in Berlin, also called for by the Berlin CSD. It is organized by LSVD+ Berlin-Brandenburg. From 6 p.m. at Ahornsteig near Lennéstraße in the Große Tiergarten, not far from the attack site, the victims will be remembered. “Continuing on Saturday and pausing on Sunday go hand in hand for the association. One does not replace the other. It is important to create space and visibility for both emotions,” said the Berlin CSD.
Since the attack, vigils have taken place in dozens of cities; more are planned in the coming days (schedule). This weekend, in addition to Hamburg, CSDs are planned in Bonn, Amberg, Naumburg, Kempten, Schüchtern, Wolfratshausen, Brühl, Moers, and Ahaus.
“Now More Than Ever” in Cologne: trip to Amsterdam, demo in the Domstadt
The organizers of Cologne Pride are meanwhile urging people to join the Saturday train ride to Canal Pride in Amsterdam, which is part of World Pride. “The terrible events in Berlin, the treacherous attack are still fresh. But we must not let shock, uncertainty, or fear paralyze us. We must keep going—and we will keep going—now more than ever!” said the CSD. Details on departures from North Rhine-Westphalia cities and tickets are available here.
For Sunday the following weekend, the CSD and several other queer organizations have called for a “Cologne Queer March,” starting at 2 p.m. from Deutzer Werft to Friesenplatz. “On Sunday, August 9, queer organizations and city allies will join together in Cologne to call for a queer march through the city center in response to the treacherous Islamist and queerphobic attack on the CSD in Berlin,” reads the call published moments ago. “The Berlin CSD, which ended in the cruel manner of an attack on the queer community, stood under the motto ‘Stance is hot.’ Stance remains hot, but now more than ever it is essential.” (no attribution)
