A violent and shocking incident has disrupted one of Europe’s most high-profile annual LGBTQ+ pride celebrations, leaving multiple people hurt and triggering a massive emergency response in central Berlin. According to local law enforcement officials, a vehicle drove into a crowd of attendees near Tiergarten Park on Saturday, where the conclusion of the city’s annual Christopher Street Day pride parade was scheduled to take place.
Shortly after the first reports of the incident emerged, Berlin police confirmed that several people had sustained injuries, and that emergency medical teams were already on site providing immediate care to those affected. Photographic coverage from the scene shows a heavy deployment of first responders, with at least one injured individual transported from the area via ambulance on a stretcher. As of the latest update, authorities have not released a precise count of how many people were hurt in the event.
In addition to emergency medical teams, a large contingent of police officers and fire department rescue units have been deployed to the incident zone. Law enforcement has launched an intensive manhunt for the suspect or suspects involved, and issued an urgent public appeal asking all civilians to avoid the Tiergarten Park area to allow first responders to operate unimpeded and support the ongoing investigation.
Earlier the same day, the city had hosted the traditional Christopher Street Day parade, which drew huge crowds of participants and supporters marching through central Berlin before the event was set to wrap up with a series of evening gatherings near the park. Following the incident, event organizers and city authorities made the decision to cancel the remainder of the annual pride celebration out of caution and respect for those affected.