On the fringes of Dortmund’s Christopher Street Day, an incident left a participant with injuries. On Brüderweg, an unidentified individual grabbed a flag from a participant in the LGBTQ+ demonstration, police said. In the ensuing scuffle, the affected person sustained minor injuries. The police filed charges for bodily harm, property damage, and insult.
Otherwise, Dortmund’s 28th CSD went by peacefully and without disruption, according to law enforcement. Several thousand people took part. The parade began around midday at Xi’an Square with roughly 1,800 participants, and attendance swelled to about 3,300 as the afternoon progressed. After a mid-route rally at Reinoldikirche, the march reached Friedensplatz around 3 p.m., where the celebrations continued into the evening.
This year’s Dortmund CSD carried the theme “Fight for Pride — No Step Back.” The organizers said the choice reflected a rise in anti-queer hate crimes and a broad challenge to the rights that had to be fought for. They called for, among other things, constitutional protections for LGBTQ people, equality in family law, and more effective measures against hate crimes. (mize)
Marcy Ellerton
