Hamburg CSD Draws Record 300,000 People With Increased Security Measures

The streets of Hamburg were filled with rainbow flags, soap bubbles, and nearly 60 trucks on Saturday, marking the largest CSD the city has ever seen. According to police and organizers, the crowd reached 300,000 people, an increase from the 260,000 who attended last year, as reported by AP News. The event operated under the motto that the community should be queer in solidarity and take a stand for a future without fear.

Security surge after the Berlin attack

The atmosphere in Hamburg was shaped by the events of July 25, when a 21-year-old driver, identified by AP News as Abdul Ballout, plowed a van into people near the closing party of the Berlin Pride event and used what appeared to be a machete. The attack killed a mother from Warsaw and injured her daughter and 30 other people. Ballout, who was classified as an Islamist security threat and had been under surveillance, was killed by police on Sunday. Investigators later found a video in which a person believed to be the suspect pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group.

In response, Hamburg police deployed roughly twice as many officers as they had for the previous year’s event, according to the city’s police chief as cited by AP News. The security concept included betonpoller (concrete bollards), trucks stationed along the route, drones, helicopters, and support units from other federal states. Spiegel reported that police with submachine guns were visible near the main train station, a sight described as unusual for a demonstration.

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After the brutal attack on the CSD in Berlin, many are unsure in the queer community but also in society whether here and today is the right place. I say, now more than ever. Katharina Fegebank, Hamburg deputy mayor

Berlin Pride’s presence and mourning

A truck representing Berlin Pride joined the procession as a late addition. To honor the victims of the attack, people on the Berlin truck were asked to wear dark clothing. Christoph Kaymann, co-chair of Hamburg Pride, emphasized the need to respect the varying emotional states of participants, and a minute of silence was held at the Hamburg City Hall, where a rainbow flag with mourning ribbons was displayed, according to taz.de.

We have ourselves been very happy about the invitation from the Hamburg CSD, because that also shows community. But we have also hesitated, because it is naturally very close together. The wounds are still deep and our team deals with the situation very differently. We then decided that we want to stand against this hate to some extent. And that we want to do that with visibility, as we have so often done. And that we want to stand up again. Carolina Philipps, CSD Berlin

Political demands and the Basic Law

The event served as a platform for political criticism, specifically regarding the absence of the federal government. Stefan Mielchen, former chair of Hamburg Pride, stated that the lack of government representatives signaled a failure to show the queer community that the state stands with them, according to taz.de.

A primary demand from participants is the modification of Article 3 of the Basic Law (Grundgesetz). While the article currently guarantees gender equality and prohibits discrimination, activists are pushing for sexual identity to be explicitly included as a protected characteristic. According to Spiegel, this specific legal change is currently being discussed in political circles following the Berlin attack.

The dual threat of Islamism and the far-right

Participants and organizers emphasized that the queer community faces threats from multiple directions. Thomas Hoffmann, a board member of Berlin Pride, noted that while the attack in Berlin was a concrete result of Islamist terror, the right-wing extremist threat remains an everyday danger, evidenced by the election results of the AfD, according to taz.de.

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This sentiment was echoed by demonstrators interviewed by Spiegel, who noted that right-wing extremists are often the most frequent source of threats. One demonstrant recalled being hunted and followed by right-wing extremists at CSD events in Leipzig and Chemnitz the previous year.

To demonstrate inclusivity and visibility, the parade route intentionally passed through Steindamm, a street with a strong Muslim character. Stefan Mielchen told taz.de that this choice was intended to show that the community respects diversity and to distinguish between the society at large and Islamists, whom he stated stood outside our society.

We must not be afraid now, because then the side that is against us and does not want us to lead a free life would have won. Thomas Hoffmann, board member of Berlin Pride

The five-hour procession ended at the Binnenalster, where celebrations and street festivals continued through Sunday, August 2, according to taz.de.