With a record turnout of about 300,000 people, participants in Hamburg on Saturday sent a clear message against hate and exclusion at Christopher Street Day (CSD). Police and organizers reported the figure in unison. Last year roughly 260,000 attended; this year, organizers had expected about 250,000 to 260,000 participants. The 46th CSD demonstration carried the motto “Solidarität queer. Take a stand — for a future without fear.”
The parade took place just a week after the Islamist attack on the Berlin CSD, in which a 21-year-old drove a van into a crowd and allegedly attacked others with a machete. A woman from Poland died and 31 people were injured. The assailant was shot dead later that evening during a police operation (Live blog on the CSD attack).
Policymakers show solidarity
The route wound its way through the St. Georg district, along Steindamm and Mönckebergstraße to the Lombardsbrücke into the city center. About 150 groups and nearly 60 trucks took part — organizers say that is a record turnout. Among the groups represented were Queere Familien Hamburg, the Startschuss sports club, the Schola Cantorosa choir, and Omas gegen Rechts (Grannies Against the Right). Large corporations such as Lufthansa Technik, Vattenfall, Beiersdorf, and Eurowings sponsored trucks, and the fire brigade, the Protestant church, the state association for hospice and palliative care, and the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf also participated. A “CSD Inclusion Truck” offered rides for wheelchair users. Political parties represented included the SPD, Greens, Left, FDP, and Volt. Dozens of volunteer parade helpers and more than 300 stewards supported the organization.
An leading the march were Hamburg’s Deputy Mayor Katharina Fegebank (Greens), President of the Parliament Carola Veit (SPD), Finance Senator Andreas Dressel (SPD), SPD parliamentary leader Matthias Miersch, the Federal Government’s LGBTQ+ commissioner Sophie Koch (SPD), and drag performer Olivia Jones. Also joining them were Labor Minister Bärbel Bas (SPD) and former Green party chair Ricarda Lang. The Berlin CSD e.V. participated with its own truck. Berlin’s Social Affairs Senator Cansel Kiziltepe (SPD) was also present. “The goal now is to stand alongside the queer community,” she said. “The attack must not cause queer people to withdraw in fear or become less visible.”
Olivia Jones: “We Won’t Be Beaten”
Olivia Jones walked along the city streets with a sash reading “Now More Than Ever,” and she wrote on Instagram about a video showing a confetti cannon firing at noon on Lübecker Straße: “We won’t be beaten.”
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CSD spokesperson: “The sense of community within the crowd was palpable”
“As the queer community, we can support each other in our grief at the CSD,” Hamburg Pride spokesperson Manuel Opitz told dpa. The association had already held a moment of silence for the attack’s victims at the CSD street festival in the city center on Friday evening. “The sense of community was palpable,” Opitz noted. He was impressed that “the city comes together and stands in solidarity by our side.” He pointed out that far more people on the streets were not queer — including families with children, seniors, and heterosexual couples. “We feel upheld by the city’s society, and we’re proud of Hamburg.”
The co-chairs of Hamburg Pride e.V., Jenny Saitzek and Christoph Kahrmann, said: “Today we, as a queer community but also as the city of Hamburg, have sent a powerful message and made it clear: We will not be intimidated. Our answer to hate is visibility, solidarity, and a demand for policies that finally strengthen our protection.” They urged the federal government to enshrine protections for queer people in Article 3 of the Basic Law.
Incidents not reported
The Hamburg police had revised its security concept in response to the Berlin attack and doubled the number of officers compared to the original plan. Concrete bollards and trucks parked crosswise were added. Police President Falk Schnabel told NDR that all security concepts, including the route, had been re-examined carefully. From the police’s perspective, there was never any doubt about the parade itself, but they wanted to minimize risk: “Everyone should expect the highest level of security.” A police spokeswoman described the afternoon mood as “absolutely peaceful and exuberant”; no incidents were reported. “We’re very satisfied.”
The CSD street festival on Rathausmarkt and at Ballindamm continues through Sunday evening at 10 p.m. (mize/AFP)
