A car drove into a crowd during Berlin’s prominent LGBTQ+ parade on Saturday, resulting in the death of one person and injuring at least 16 others. This tragic event led authorities to terminate the celebration in the German capital shortly after it commenced.
Police reported some victims suffered life-threatening injuries. Emergency responders, including firefighters and ambulances, promptly arrived at the scene, attending to those affected.
On social media platform X, the police instructed attendees to vacate the event premises immediately. According to authorities, the vehicle entered the Tiergarten park, close to the pride march’s route, striking several individuals. Although the exact number of officers deployed was undetermined, there was a significant police presence. Ongoing efforts are focused on identifying suspects.
“We are conducting an intensive search for possible suspects,” stated a police officer in a video shared on the Berlin police account on X.
Police spokesperson Alexander Klute informed The Associated Press that there was no information regarding potential motives or the identity of the perpetrator or perpetrators.
Saturday saw hundreds of thousands gather for Berlin’s Pride parade, also known as Christopher Street Day, one of Europe’s major LGBTQ+ events. The parade participants moved towards Brandenburger Tor under the motto “Haltung ist Hot – Segen statt Hetze” which translates to “Having principles is hot – Blessing instead of hate.” This year’s event was marked by vibrant celebrations before the unfortunate incident.
The mishap occurred near the Brandenburg Gate in downtown Berlin, leading to the parade’s cancellation around 10:15 p.m. A band’s live performance on stage was abruptly halted, and people were advised to head home, avoiding the route through Tiergarten park.
Preceding the tragedy, festivities were in full swing as people danced, enjoyed music, and admired the approximately 80 floats in the parade.
Julian Miethig, who attended the celebration earlier, recalled planning to attend an afterparty when a friend informed him about the tragedy, mentioning the presence of numerous emergency response vehicles.
“It’s a dark day for the community,” Miethig expressed, reflecting on the shock that such an incident could occur at Berlin’s pride events.