“For more empathy and solidarity” Hundreds of thousands on Christopher Street Day in Berlin

Colorful, loud and impossible to miss: Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets of Berlin on Saturday for Christopher Street Day (CSD). The demonstration train with no less than 75 vehicles and about 100 groups of often imaginatively dressed participants covered 7.4 kilometers on foot through various Berlin districts. The motto was “Be their voice – and ours! For more empathy and solidarity!». House and electro beats were heard. Soap bubbles rose, many danced in the streets and on truck trailers.

A rainbow flag hung at the Federal Chancellery. There were also rainbow colors on the T-shirt of Bundestag chairman Bärbel Bas (SPD) and on many other CSD participants. The blue and yellow of the Ukrainian flag also appeared repeatedly. Just like last year, a Ukrainian truck was part of the demo parade.

The fact that the President of the Bundestag, together with the reigning mayor Kai Wegner, took on the opening was a first. Wegner was also the first Berlin CDU head of government to agree to this. However, there were also a number of boos during his address to the queer community.

The CDU politician held out the prospect of an extension of Article 3 of the Basic Law. “My firm commitment to this Berlin Senate is: we want to change Article 3 of the Basic Law. The sexual identity must be there,” he said.

Bundestag president Bas called for action against discrimination: “We must send a clear signal for a free, diverse and diverse society,” she said. Discrimination is also on the rise in Germany. “And we all need to stand up against this and stand against it together and show our stance.”

The organizers had registered 500,000 participants for the demonstration. The Berlin CSD is one of the largest events of the LGBTIQA* community in Europe. The abbreviation stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, intersexual, queer, asexual and other.

When the weather was not too warm, many CSD revelers dressed up: jackets and ties in rainbow colors could be seen, but also white turbans, hairstyles with extensive floral decorations, glittery trousers or bare breasts. At the end, an extensive stage program was planned at the Brandenburg Gate – until late in the evening.

Christopher Street Day takes place each year in many cities around the world and commemorates the events of June 28, 1969: at that time, police officers stormed the New York gay and lesbian bar “Stonewall Inn” on Christopher Street, sparking multi-day protests by gay, lesbian and transsexual people. The CSD is a reminder of the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer people. (sda/dpa)